The Thornton Fractional South Red Wolves secured a 5-3 victory against Bloom on Thursday, breaking a two-game losing streak. The team demonstrated resilience following an 11-1 defeat to Peotone, capitalizing on key moments both offensively and defensively.
According to head coach Amir Wright, the focus was straightforward: “reset and refocus.” Wright said, “Today was a new day. We just tried to improve on past mistakes,” highlighting the performances of Benny and Chris in pitching and closing, respectively.
Bloom initially took a 2-0 lead in the first inning with runs from Kamari and Talan. However, T.F. South quickly responded as Michael Evans, Juan Lozano, and Ronnie Ledezma scored in the bottom half of the inning, shifting the momentum. Chris Rodriguez added another run in the second inning, extending the Red Wolves’ lead to 4-2.
First baseman Ryan Barnell played a pivotal role in maintaining defensive strength through the middle innings. Although Bloom narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the sixth inning due to an error, junior center fielder Brandon Barrett secured the win with a decisive run.
Barrett said, “I was just locked in,” emphasizing his determination to contribute to the team’s success. Wright commended his team’s composure under pressure: “We gave away a few runs, but we stayed together,” he said. “We found a way to win—that’s what matters.”
The victory marked an important home win for the Red Wolves.
