SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — On the day he was named to the Frontier League’s West Division All-Star team, Blake Grant-Parks smashed a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the largest crowd in franchise history plenty to cheer about as the Schaumburg Boomers opened the Independence Day fun with a thrilling 6-3 win over the Joliet Slammers before 7,645 at Wintrust Field.
Joliet built a 3-0 lead in a pitching matchup featuring a pair of All-Stars. Kobey Schlotman allowed a pair of runs with two outs in the first and a solo homer from Phillip Steering in the sixth but worked seven innings, striking out seven. Cole Cook did not allow a run until the bottom of the sixth for Joliet. After retiring nine straight, Travis Holt led off with an infield single and scored when Gaige Howard tripled off the wall in center. Howard scored on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Fitzgerald. Zach Huffins scored the tying run in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch.
Kristian Scott earned the win in relief, leaving runners at second and third in the top of the ninth to set the stage for the heroics. Merfy Andrew spun a scoreless eighth. Schaumburg finished with just seven hits and drew just a single walk but came away with the victory. Howard, also named an All-Star, totaled two hits and added a double in the win.
The Boomers (27-18) will continue the Independence Day fun at 6:00pm tomorrow. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Boomers Grill Spatula thanks to Amazon Fresh. The contest will also feature the 4th of July Fireworks Supershow following the contest. RHP Aaron Glickstein (3-2, 3.55) is scheduled to start for the Boomers against RHP Ricky Castro (2-0, 1.53). Tickets are available but are moving quickly. Visit www.boomersbaseball.com or calling 847-461-3695 to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun.