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After eight innings’ worth of a pitchers’ duel, the Hounds erupted for five runs in the top of the 9^th, topping the Admirals 7-2 in a quick Sunday matinee in Joliet.

Emerson Misch led off the fateful 9^th with a triple to the corner in right field. Frankie Perrone followed with a double to the right center wall, scoring Misch and sending the Hounds to the 3-2 lead. Perrone scored on Trent Carrier’s groundball single through the shallow infield. That hit knocked Joliet reliever Eric Littler out of the game in favor of Brian Donley.

Connor Kopach greeted Donley with his own RBI double to make it 5-2, advancing to third as the ball bounced around the infield. Stewart Nelson’s sac fly brought home the fourth run of the frame. Two batters later, Richie Gorski stretched a single into a double, stole third, and came home on a throwing error by catcher Michael DiViesti.

Tyler Hasper sat the Admirals down 1-2-3 in the 9^th inning to put a lid on the Hounds’ 10^th win of the season, and certainly one of their best.

Josh Davis earned the win after two strong innings of relief pitching. Davis got into trouble in the 8^th, putting the go-ahead runs on second and third with one out, but struck out Bill Chandler and got Jermaine Terry to pop out to second.

The first eight innings at Wayne King Field flew by at a breakneck speed, as effective starting pitching matched with swirling winds kept the teams mostly even. The Admirals scored two runs in the 1^st without a hit, walking three times against Hounds starter Ryan Hinchley.

Hinchley settled down and delivered a quality start in the no-decision, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in six innings, walking three and striking out six. Hinchley faced only 16 batters over his last five innings and struck out the side in the bottom of the 6^th.

DuPage County (10-3) got a run back in the top of the 2^nd off Kevin Steger of Joliet (3-8). Brian Lees drew the leadoff walk and eventually came home on Adam Wilson’s RBI groundout. Steger pitched shutdown baseball until the 7^th inning with Misch punched a leadoff single, scoring on a Nelson two-out groundball that shortstop Logan Fleener couldn’t handle. That brought the Hounds back even and hungry for the lead.

The Hounds get the next two days off and finish up their six-game road trip against the Lexington Snipes. Game time at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington is set for 7:00, but could be adjusted pending the weather.