By: Ryan Paris
JOLIET, IL – In his first career Frontier League at-bat, Jose Contreras got the pitch he was looking for.
He actually got it one pitch before, but he swung early. All that came of it was a screaming line drive into foul territory.
If he got it a second time, he wasn’t going to miss. And so, from the moment it left the pitcher’s hand, Contreras zeroed in.
When it arrived, he turned on it with all his might and sent it towering across Slammers (17-17) stadium.
It scraped the sky and then smashed into the patio, clearing the fence by a healthy margian. Official distance: 445 feet.
That blast represented just three of the 13 runs Joliet would score in their 13-6 rout of Florence (15-18).
Contreras finished the game with three hits and three RBIs. Not a bad first impression.
But in order to score 13 runs, multiple guys need to be on their A-game. Thankfully, as it turned out, Ian Battipaglia was working on his own signature performance.
A double off the right field wall in the first, a single to center in the second, and a triple to right field in the fourth put the Slammers third baseman a home run shy of the cycle with plenty of game to go.
In the fifth inning, Battipaglia was swinging big. After a couple of swings and misses, he grounded a ball up the middle for a base hit, his fourth of the game.
He got one more chance in the seventh, but went down looking on strikes. Just falling short of the big prize, but still putting together an incredible game.
Two batters having career days would be cool, but three?
Braylin Marine had his best day as a Slammer at the plate. He went 4-4 and worked a walk, knocking in four teammates in the process.
But a shortstop has the responsibility of playing the keystone defensive position as well. Time and time again, Marine was tested and succeeded in throwing runners out. The Slammers defense turned two double plays that shut down Florence rallies throughout the course of the game.
There was so much else that went on in the game. Liam McArthur and Antonio Valdez also had multi-hit games. Frank Plesac nearly threw an immaculate inning. Heck, I had to swat a spider out of the broadcast booth with a toy lightsaber!
All that aside, once the final out was recorded, the Slammers were back to .500. A great start to a series for a team looking to move past the struggles of their recent road trip.
Joliet looks to keep the momentum up tomorrow against the Yalls in game 2 of the series. First pitch is at 6:35 PM.
For information on season tickets, premium suites or group outings, please visit the Slammers’ official website at www.jolietslammers.com.
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The Joliet Slammers play in downtown Joliet, Illinois, and are members of the professional, independent Frontier League. The Frontier League is the largest MLB Partner League with 16 teams spanning from the Mississippi River to the East Coast. Visit the Slammers online atwww.jolietslammers.com or call the ticket office at 815-722-2287 for more information! Don’t forget to “Like” the Slammers on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/jolietslammers, follow them on Instagram at @jolietslammersofficial or follow them on Twitter at @jolietslammers!
This game recap was written by Ryan Paris.
