Blowout win sends Schaumburg Boomers back to top of West Division standings

A night after falling out of first place, the Schaumburg Boomers vaulted back to the top of the West Division standings, leapfrogging the Gateway Grizzlies after breezing to a 17-5 win on Thursday night to salvage a game in the series between the two teams fighting in the standings at Wintrust Field.

Gateway opened the scoring with a single run in the top of the first. The lead did not last long as with two outs in the bottom of the inning Christian Fedko and Anthony Calarco walked. Banks Tolley slammed his 10th homer of the year to put the Boomers in front.

Gateway scored in the top of the second to pull within a run before the Boomers exploded in the bottom of the inning, scoring eight runs to put the game out of reach early. Seven straight players reached base in the inning and six consecutive batters drove home runs. Nick Podkul was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a run and Fedko followed by coaxing a bases-loaded walk.

Calarco smacked a two-run double to set another franchise record. The double was his 28th of the year, breaking the franchise single season mark. Tolley and Aaron Simmons notched RBI singles before Kyle Fitzgerald tripled home two and chased the Gateway starter.