GRIFFITH, Ind. – The Indiana Panthers and the Griffith Generals continue to be the must-watch matchup in the Northern League this season, as the Generals nearly came back against the Panthers for the second time in a week. The Generals were down 9-4 going into the ninth, but put the tying run in scoring position before Trent Lawrence made an over-the-wall catch in foul territory to end the Generals rally 9-7.
It was another error-filled game on defense, as runs crossed the plate for both sides due to wild throws and bobbled grounders. The mayhem reached its peak in the ninth when some players thought Nic Altobelli hit a game-tying grand slam for the Generals. Altobelli, an outfielder who came in the inning before to pitch in a doomsday situation for the Generals, hit a towering fly ball that one-hopped the fence in left field, resulting in a two-run ground rule double once the umpires confirmed the ball bounced over the wall.
Altobelli was blunt when he recapped the moment from his perspective, saying, “Honestly, I just hit it and I started running. I’ve been having an average year to say the best, so when the ball hit the bat, I just went.” Altobelli’s numbers have improved in the last week, as he hit .364 with a .500 on-base percentage while driving in three runs in four games.
Shortly after Altobelli put himself on second as the potential game-tying run, Jesse Rhoda and Nick Fies popped out to end the game, snapping the Generals three-game winning streak and stopping them one game short of a swept homestand.
Coach Peter Romsek was candid about his team’s losing effort, citing a long and exhausting stretch. “It kinda looked like we were at the end of a 13-day stretch,” he said. “Seemed pretty fatigued, didn’t have as much pep as we usually do. Wasn’t our prettiest effort, but we got through the stretch.”
In the wild ninth inning, an unfortunate turn of events struck the Generals’ star center fielder Billy Jones. After popping out to first base, Jones took his frustrations out on the wooden helmet rack in the dugout, injuring his right hand. Early indications from medical personnel say the hand is dislocated, which may cause Jones to miss some time.
“It was completely my fault,” Jones remarked. “I wanted to be the guy to put my team up. Not everything happens the way you want to, and I took it out on some wood, and the wood took it out on me.”
The Generals will have their first true off day in two weeks before returning to action on Tuesday in Whiting against the Oilmen at 7:10 p.m.