Sluggers Show Fight, But Fall in High-Scoring Battle with Hamilton
After an explosive night at the plate from both teams, the Flag City Sluggers dropped Game 2 of their series against the Hamilton Joes by a final score of 17–10. Despite several late-game pushes and offensive highlights, early scoring from the Joes proved too much to overcome.
Hamilton came out swinging in the top of the 1st against Flag City starter Hayden Gilmore. The Joes jumped to an early lead after an RBI single from Alex Conrad, followed by a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. Mark Nowak then added another RBI single to make it 2–0 right out of the gate.
Things escalated quickly in the top of the 2nd when Jordan Mallot doubled, setting up a three-run homer from Miguel Correa Jr. The Joes kept the pressure on with back-to-back singles from Gio Melchione and Conrad to stretch the lead to 6–0.
Flag City responded in the bottom half of the inning. Tanner Powell started things off with a single, and Cameron Baker reached on an error. A double steal on a passed ball put both runners in scoring position. Catcher Jaxon Brown hit a sac fly to bring Powell home, and Charlie Smith followed with an RBI single to make it 6–2.
Hamilton continued to pile on in the top of the 3rd. Christopher Roa and Correa Jr. each delivered singles, with Melchione tacking on another RBI to extend the lead to 9–2.
The Sluggers answered right back in the bottom of the 3rd. Powell added another RBI via sac fly, and Cameron Baker followed it up with an RBI single to bring the score to 9–4.
Hamilton stayed aggressive. In the top of the 4th, Mark Nowak singled and was brought in by Brett Denby’s RBI knock. A wild pitch would advance both runners and add another to the tally, making it 11–4.
Flag City kept fighting in the bottom of the 4th. Brayden Curlis reached via an error, Matt Gardner singled, and Carter Mottice drove in a run with an RBI single to trim the deficit to 11–5.
The Joes added more in the top of the 5th, capitalizing on another wild pitch and an RBI single from Travis Yankovich. A 6–3 double play helped limit the damage, but the score moved to 13–5.
A passed ball and another wild pitch allowed a run to score for Hamilton in the 6th, pushing the lead even further. The Sluggers, however, weren’t done. In the bottom of the frame, Ashton Williams slapped an RBI single and Drew Stechschulte smashed an RBI double to make it 14–7.
In the top of the 8th, Brett Denby delivered a 2-RBI triple, and two more came in on a fielder’s choice from Correa Jr., extending Hamilton’s lead to 17–7.
But Flag City showed resilience again in the bottom half. After loading the bases via walks, a wild pitch brought one run home. Matt Gardner came up clutch with a 2-RBI single to bring the Sluggers to double digits.
Caleb Smith showed life in the top of the 9th, sitting down all three batters he faced. Despite the effort and offensive firepower, Flag City ultimately fell short, dropping to 1–1 in the series.
The Sluggers will look to bounce back and take the rubber match against Hamilton tomorrow night in their first away game of the series, with first pitch set for 7:05 PM.