Sunday, July 9 (WEEK 11)

Earl Blankenship and Matt Weiss led the Bats to their second win of the season as the Bats (2-6-1) defeated the Lightning, 5-3, on Sunday at Behm Park.  The loss dropped the Lightning to 3-4-1.

Blankenship collected 3 hits and scored twice from the leadoff position, while Weiss pitched 5 strong innings to pick up the victory.  The hard throwing right-hander also had 2 RBI to help his own cause.

The Bats spotted the Lightning 2 runs in the top half of the first when Rich Skibski was forced to start the game due to Weiss's late arrival.  Weiss, the scheduled starter, was stuck in heavy traffic on the seldom-used roads of rural Grayslake.

Skibski surrendered the 2 first-inning runs by giving up a single, double, sacrifice fly and run scoring double to the Lightning's first four batters.  He struck out the fifth batter before walking the next two to load the bases.  Skibski then snuck a called third strike past the Lightning's Joe Busky to end the inning.

The Bats countered with 2 runs of their own in the first inning as Blankenship scored on a 2-out double by Weiss off the glove of the Lightning's center fielder.  Singles by John Moulchin and Bill Quoss then brought Weiss around to knot the score at 2-2.

The Lightning scored a run in the top of the second off Weiss to go ahead 3-2, but were held scoreless over the next four innings.  The Bats, however, were also held scoreless over their next four innings to keep the score at 3-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

The Bats started off the sixth with 5 straight singles and eventually scored 3 runs to take a 5-3 lead.  Jeff McClellan, playing in only his second game since returning from off-season shoulder surgery, channeled his inner-Schwarber to lead off the frame with his second hit of the game.  His hit was followed by Blankenship's third safety and a perfectly placed bunt single by Kevin Molbeck down the third base line to load the bases with none out.  Don Gragnani beat out an infield hit to plate McClellan with the tying run followed by Weiss's run scoring single to give the Bats a 4-3 lead.  A run scoring ground out by Bill Quoss gave the Bats an insurance run and a 5-3 advantage.

Moulchin came on to pitch the seventh inning and set the Lightning down in order to save the game for Weiss.  The win was the Bats first since their opening day triumph, also over the Lightning.

The Bats next game will be on Sunday, July 16 at 9 a.m. against the Marauders at Tiger's Field in Johnsburg, Ill. 

BATS DROPPINGS

For the first time this season the Bats played an errorless game.  The Bats had 6 assists and their 21 putouts came on 7 strikeouts, 3 fly outs, 5 pop ups, and 6 ground outs. ...... Earl Blankenship continues his hot hitting.  After collecting 5 hits in his first 6 games while batting .250, he has gone 8-for-10 over his last three games to lift his season's average to .433. ...... Matt Weiss's 2 hits extended his hitting streak this season to 7 games.  Coupled with his 4-game streak to end last season his hitting streak now stands at 11 games, tied for the sixth longest in Bats history. ...... Tony DiBlasi was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning to take over the team lead in that category with 2.  Since 2004 DiBlasi has led, or tied for the team lead, in HBP for 9 of those seasons, while coaxing a total of 36 HBP, far outpacing the next closest (12) for that dubious record.