By: Braeden Jones
PEARL, MS – In a game to decide the series, the Joliet Slammers (12-17) took down the Mississippi Mud Monsters (11-19) at Trustmark Park on Thursday with a 8-1 score.
Like they have for every game this series, the Slammers got on the board in the top of the 1st inning. Ian Battipaglia led off the game and got a single, and he came around to score once Patrick Ward hit a double as the next man up. Ward himself got to come home when Blake Berry hit a deep sacrifice fly ball. This once again gave Joliet an early lead at 2-0 after the 1st inning.
The Mud Monsters eventually answered back in the bottom of the 4th inning when Vantrel Reed scored Andrew Semo off of a double after Semo had been walked. That was all the scoring Mississippi could do, however, meaning the score now sat at 2-1 in favor of the Slammers.
With the lead now at risk, the Slammers produced a strong showing in the top of the 6th to pull away. An RBI single from Berry scored Ward, and both he and Jackson Valera would score from a 2-RBI single from Braylin Marine. Spencer Rich hit what was the 5th single of the inning to score Cam Suto, and Joliet left the 6th inning with the 6-1 advantage.
The Slammers had a little more to give in the top of the 8th inning when a walk to Jackson Beaman and a single by Suto set up a 2-RBI single by Rich. That marked the last scoring by either team, which meant that Joliet won the game 8-1. This also won them the first of two series against Mississippi.
Now having won 7 of their last 9 games, the Slammers will remain in Mississippi to play another three-game series against the Mud Monsters before heading back home, starting on Friday. Mississippi will look to win the second series against Joliet for their home crowd.
