Brewers storm back from 5-0 deficit with twelve-run inning to mercy Lisle 15-5 in NDBL playoff opener

By Jim Stewart

The dog days of August are renowned for sudden heat storms that fill the sky with explosive light shows.

A localized storm touched down at North Hill Park on Thursday evening that will be discussed by friends, family, and fans of the Brewers' franchise for years to come. 

Trailing 5-0 as they took their at-bats at the bottom of third, Bolton's season seemed in the balance.

Having been swept by the Lisle Astros in their regular season series and down a quintet of runs to the visitors almost midway through their opening game of the 2025 NDBL playoffs, things looked extremely doubtful for the Bolton Nine at North Hill.

The Astros had tacked on four runs to their 1-0 lead on back-to-back extra base hits at the top of the third: a 2-RBI double into the right-centre gap by Kris Allary and a 2-run homer crushed by Zach Scragg that flew over the centerfield fence. 

It was a confident young Lisle club that took the field at the bottom of the third.

Astros' starter Eric Jones had restricted the Brewers to a single over two innings of work and was gifted a 5-run lead.

However, in one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the franchise's 21-year playoff history, the Brewers' remarkable 10-hit, 3-walk, 12-run onslaught produced an uncanny comeback for the ages.

Brewers' centerfielder Ben Sterritt initiated the fireworks with a hustling double.

After Carter Burnside drew a walk, Steve Warden drilled an RBI double over the third base bag to plate Sterritt and reduce the deficit to 5-1.

Mike Wallace followed with a 2-run single that darted between first and second to narrow the visitors' lead to two.

After Carson Burns blasted a line drive up the middle to put two on and none out, Chris Fafalios laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Wallace and Burns into scoring position.

Promptly, Reid Deibert drove a 2-RBI double down the left field line to tie the game 5-5 and the Brewers' bench was vocalizing its approval.

After Logan Hart made the second out of the inning on a fielder's choice, Chater kept the rally going with a key 2-out single, Sterritt was hit by a pitch, and Burnside drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Brewers a 6-5 lead.

Burnside's keen batting eye would loom largely as Warden's second extra base hit of the inning plated four runs. Warden's majestic Grand Slam over the centerfield fence swelled Bolton's lead to 10-5.

Wallace kept the momentum going by pounding out his second single of the inning followed as did Burns whose double put two more in scoring position for Fafalios. The Brewers' steady leftfielder gave his surging squad a 12-5 lead with a rally-capping 2-RBI single off reliever Ethan Kennedy-Mumsterman.

Wallace's shot ended Jones's night.

The crafty lefty—who subdued Bolton 3-1 in a masterful mound performance at North Hill in June--surrendered ten hits, ten earned runs, and flirted with danger by walking six Brewers in the first three frames.

Veteran first baseman/slugger John Hutchinson—a Brewers' original since 2004 and 7-time NDBL champion—marveled at his squad's comeback effort.

“It was impressive. So many were hard-hit balls. A 12-spot in ten minutes got the ship going in the right direction.”

“Hutch” praised the five-RBI performance and veteran presence of Warden.

“Steve's always been a leader on our team. With nine rings—two with Ivy and seven with us – he's a 43-year-old who's so highly-respected in the league.”

After being handed 12 runs by the Warden-led offense, Brewers' starter Matteo Stothers delivered a tidy 1-2-3 top of the fourth.

He induced Ryan Young to lineout to Burnside at second, struck out Daniel Morningstar swinging,  coaxed Kyle Windsor to flyout to Fafalios in left field, and preserved his club's 7-run lead.

Hutchinson complimented his starter's shutdown performance to seal the victory.

“Matteo's a gamer. He was able to bounce back to get the win. Matteo's going to have to throw some big innings for us in the playoffs. Those outs he got in the fourth were big for the team.” 

In the bottom of the fourth, the Brewers responded to their starter's efficiency.

Chater's lead-off double clanged off the fence and Sterritt's shot to centerfield made it 13-5.

Burnside's single up the middle moved the runners to first and third and pinch-hitter Dan Accardo drew a walk to load the bases.  Burns' deep fly ball was the third knock of the inning to hit the centerfield warning track. It plated two more runs and the home side moved into the ‘mercy zone' with a 15-5 lead.

Stothers turned in his second-consecutive 1-2-3 inning when his curveball froze Lisle's Travis Hall for strike three, second baseman Burnside snared Josh Young's hot shot to secure the second out, and Liam Reynolds went down swinging on the starter's fastest pitch of the night—a tantalizing four-seamer that missed the barrel and sealed the mercy win by the gritty Brewers.

The green-clad Astros—a comparatively younger ballclub compared to the cagy, championship-forged Brewers—made a youthful base-running error at the top of the first that might have been a harbinger for the events that followed.

Warden took advantage of overly-aggressive baserunning by speedy Astros' leadoff hitter Hall and played the middle role of a rare 1-3-6 double play started by Matteo Stothers.

The Bolton righty fielded Young's sac bunt, tossed to Warden for the out, and the alert nine-time NDBL champion threw a seed to shortstop Brett Chater who caught Hall rounding the bag at second.

Little things, like the 1-3-6 defensive gem, prevented the visitors from getting a quick start in Game 1.

Alas, amid muggy Sunday afternoon playing conditions in lightless Lisle, the Brewers' bats went cold in a narrow 4-1 Game 2 loss to the Astros to even the opening round six-point series at 1-1.