Schaumburg Boomers rally stuns Joliet

The Schaumburg Boomers were down to their final strike with the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth inning but erupted for six two-out runs to win a seventh in a row, notching the first walkoff win of the season by an 8-7 final over the Joliet Slammers at Wintrust Field on Saturday night.

Entering the ninth trailing 7-2, the rally opened with Alec Craig and Kyle Fitzgerald drawing back-to-back walks. Cole Smith doubled off the wall in left to score both runners. Anthony Calarco then doubled into the left-center gap to make the score 7-5.

Kellum Clark singled to put runners at the corners, and a wild pitch as Banks Tolley drew the third walk of the inning scored Calarco and sent Clark to third. Will Prater played hero, delivering a two-run double into the right-field corner to win the game.

Fitzgerald handed the Boomers an early 1-0 lead, but Joliet scored four in the fifth and two in the sixth to open a 6-1 edge. Fitzgerald scored a run in the seventh, but Joliet grabbed an insurance run in the top of the ninth to carry the advantage into the bottom of the inning.