Boomers lose lead, game 5-4

The Schaumburg Boomers failed to hold a 4-0 lead in the rubber game of a road series with the Joliet Slammers, leaving the tying run at third base in the ninth in a 5-4 defeat on Friday night.

Schaumburg (20-13) exploded to a 4-0 lead with 3 third-inning runs. Frank Pfister was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home the first run.

Steve McQuail added a 2-run single to extend the margin. Gerard Hall, who had 3 hits, doubled home a run in the fourth inning to stretch the margin.

Starter Tyler Watkins cruised through 4 innings but ran into problems in failing to make it through the fifth as the Slammers scored five times.

Josh Lyon led off with a home run, and Zach Mandelblatt capped the inning with a 2-run single against Adam Tollefson to give Joliet (16-17) the lead.

Watkins (1-4) tossed 4 innings and suffered the loss, his fourth consecutive defeat.

Jake Renshaw (1-1) earned the win for Joliet despite allowing 4 runs, working through 5 innings.