By Eli Halverson | July 15, 2025

Following a momentum-boosting series win over the Lima Locos, the Joes returned home to Foundation Field to take on the Flag City Sluggers — and this one turned into a full-blown slugfest.

The fireworks started early, as Flag City’s Harrison Engskov led off the game with a solo home run to give the Sluggers an early 1–0 edge.

But the Joes quickly answered in the bottom half. Jaxson Christ and Christopher Roa led off with singles, and though Roa was caught trying to take second, Miguel Correa stepped in and continued his RBI tear with a game-tying single. A Brett Denby single and Travis Yankovich walk plated another, and Mark Nowak followed with an RBI single of his own. After stealing second, Nowak came around to score on a throwing error, capping off a four-run first for Hamilton.

The offensive onslaught kept rolling in the second. A hit-by-pitch and two more Sluggers errors helped Jackson Wang reach third, and he came home on an RBI groundout from Christ. Roa then doubled and scored on yet another Correa RBI single to make it 6–1 Joes.

It didn’t stop there. In the third, a walk and a Diego DeCello single — compounded by Flag City’s fourth error — set the table again. Two passed balls brought both runners home. Later in the inning, Roa scored all the way from first on a Correa single and throwing error, stretching the lead to 9–1.

Marc Iozzo got the start for Hamilton and, as usual, delivered. He tossed four strong innings, giving up just one run on three hits while keeping the Sluggers quiet. But once the bullpen took over, the game flipped on its head.

Everything unraveled in the sixth. Five hits, three walks, and a total collapse from the Joes bullpen allowed Flag City to erupt for six runs and cut the deficit to 9–7. And the meltdown continued into the seventh.

DeCello added a bit of breathing room with an RBI groundout to make it 10–7, but the Sluggers responded with another crooked number. Four walks, three singles, and a wild pitch in the top of the seventh brought in four more runs, stunning the home crowd and giving Flag City an 11–10 lead after trailing by eight earlier in the night.

After a rare scoreless eighth, the Sluggers tacked on in the ninth. A leadoff walk and double brought in one run. A two-out walk kept the inning alive, followed by an RBI single and then a two-run triple off the right-field wall from Engskov — his second extra-base hit of the game — making it 15–10.

The Joes came up in the bottom half with hope but managed only a Christ single before going quietly to end a brutal 15–10 loss.

All in all, just a crushing defeat for Hamilton. Despite scoring 10 runs, taking a 9–1 lead, and benefiting from seven Sluggers errors, it still wasn’t enough. The good news: the Joes have an immediate chance to bounce back. Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night with first pitch at 7:05 PM.