By WJBC Staff
NORMAL – The Normal CornBelters fell behind early to drop game two of the series 16-3 to the Gateway Grizzlies Wednesday night at the Corn Crib.
The Grizzlies got on the board first with a single homer from leadoff man Josh Bunselmeyer. Just one out later, Craig Massoni got on base with a line drive single into left, followed by a walk to Brandon Thomas. Tyler Tewell doubled down the right field line to drive in Massoni and put two Grizzlies in scoring position. Blake Brown hit a looping single to center field to drive in the two and put the score at 4-0 Grizzlies.
Bunselmeyer reached base in the second with a walk and then a bouncing double from Massoni put two in scoring position again. A two-RBI single from Thomas put the Grizzlies up by six. Tewell floated another one into center field to put runners at the corners. After Brown loaded the bases with a walk, Ben Waldrip put one into left field to score both Thomas and Tewell. Belter starting pitcher Nick Lomascolo left the game in the second with the Grizzlies with an 8-0 lead.
The CornBelters got on the board in the bottom of the second with a two-out solo homer by Nolan Meadows. Elijah Trail followed that up with a single down the right field line but would be stranded heading into the third.
In the fourth inning, Elijah Trail hit a double with Meadows on first to get two runners in scoring position. Mike Fish drove both home with a two-out single to put the score at 8-3.
The Grizzlies responded with a leadoff single from Waldrip in the fifth, followed by a single from Sam Fischer to put runners at first and second. Gateway loaded the bases after walking Logan Davis, and two scored off a single from Seth Heck. A grounder from Massoni drove in another Grizzlie run to make it 11-3 and put runners at the corners.
Bunselmeyer reached first again as the leadoff man on a wild pitch strike out, only to be driven in by a towering double from Thomas to centerfield to put the Grizzlies ahead 12-3.
Two consecutive walks in the ninth put two runners on for the Grizzlies, and the bases were loaded on a single from Thomas. Jason Scholl hit a double to score two, followed by another double from Blake Brown and putting the Grizzlies up 16-3.
Losing pitcher was Nick Lomascolo (0-1), who went one and two-thirds innings in his first start with the CornBelters. He gave up eight hits, eight runs, three walks and had one strikeout. Winning pitcher Corey Kimes (3-2) went five and a third innings with seven hits, three runs, three walks and three strikeouts.
The series continues Thursday night with the rubber match at 6:35 p.m. Broadcast time on AM 1230 WJBC and WJBC.com is 6:20.
