Boomers fall in 15 innings

The Schaumburg Boomers opened a three-game commuter series with the Windy City ThunderBolts in Crestwood by partaking in a 15-inning affair, finally falling 2-1 following more than 4½ hours in the first day game in franchise history.

Schaumburg jumped on the board early. Chad Mozingo led off the game with a double down the right-field line. Mozingo moved up on a flyout and scored when Gerard Hall grounded to second. Windy City answered in the bottom of the second inning when Chad Cregar hit his second homer of the season on an 0-1 pitch from Schaumburg starter Robbie Penny.

That was all of the offense until the 15th. Penny allowed just 1 run in 7 innings in his season debut, striking out four. Windy City’s starter Steven Sauer worked 6 innings, walking six.

The Boomers left 15 men on base. Both teams had chances in extra innings. Windy City used it entire arsenal of pitchers, sending nine men to the mound including Thursday’s scheduled starter, Mike Recchia.

Schaumburg left runners in scoring position in the first, fourth, seventh, eighth, 12th, and 13th innings. The Boomers grounded into 3 double plays.

Windy City left runners in scoring position in the seventh, 12th, 13th, and 14th before breaking through in the 15th.

Bruce Alter led off with a walk and scored with one out from third on a single off the bat of Bryan Burke over the drawn in infield. Joe Parsons took the loss despite battling through 3 innings and striking out three for the Boomers. Schaumburg pitching struck out 11 in the game. Thomas Nelson worked a perfect eighth, Alex Thieroff a perfect ninth, and Patrick Mincey 2 perfect innings in the 10th and 11th.

Each team finished with 8 hits. Mozingo, Frank Pfister, and Sean Mahley contributed 2 each for the Boomers.