BlueClaws manager Steve Roadcap and Bolt were both in disbelief as the call was made. After a conference with home plate umpire Will Little, the call stood, ending the game.
The dramatic end was a disappointing finish to a game in which the BlueClaws overcame a 7-0 deficit. Lakewood trailed by six, 7-1, after seven innings, but scored seven runs between the eighth and ninth innings to take a 8-7 lead. Bolt was the hero in the ninth, taking Suns closer Edulin Abreu deep for a three-run, go-ahead home run with two outs. The BlueClaws first baseman was down to his final strike before hitting the opposite field blast.
The Suns though did not go down quietly, picking up the game tying run in the bottom of the ninth against Moises Melendez. The left-handed reliever got the first two outs before walking Michael Burgess and giving up a run-scoring double to Sean Rooney. Tim Pahuta followed with a base hit, but Dominic Brown threw Pahuta out at home to send the game to extra innings.
The Suns had taken a big lead, thanks in large part to a six-run fifth inning against BlueClaws starter Julian Sampson. Sampson gave up five hits and a walk in the frame, giving Hagerstown a 7-0 lead. Pahuta crushed a three-run home run to highlight the rally.
The BlueClaws began their comeback with four runs in the eighth inning against Terrence Engles and Chris Lugo. All four runs were charged to Lugo, who loaded the bases with no outs, setting up run-scoring hits from Travis Mattair and Joel Naughton. Mike Durant also picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
But once the extra innings rolled around, the BlueClaws offense disappeared against Ryan Harrison (1-1). Harrison gave up a lead-off single in the tenth to Freddy Galvis, but got a double play from Naughton and got the final nine outs in order.
Zack Sterner (4-1) held strong, pitching all three of the extra frames. He ran into trouble in both the 11th and 12th, but battled strong and did not allow an earned run.
Colten Willems made the start for the Suns and allowed just one earned run on three hits in six innings. The former first-round pick struck out one and walked two.
The BlueClaws and Suns will play the rubber game of the three-game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Jacob Diekman (1-4) will start for the BlueClaws, facing off against Cole Kimball (2-3).