Dubois Tossed, Ignites 12-Run Onslaught as Cornbelters Trample Springfield

Author: Braden Hartman

The Cornbelters found themselves down 4-0 early in Tuesday night’s game against the Springfield Horseshoes as Carter Bleakney stepped up to the plate looking to get things going in the bottom of the 4th. 

Working the count to full, a pitch whizzed near Bleakney’s hands, making contact in the area. Home plate umpire TJ Cunningham ruled the ball foul, saying the ball had hit the bat. 

Safe to say, Cornbelters manager Billy Dubois didn’t agree. 

Dubois would come out of the dugout to argue the call. The argument between Dubois and Cunningham would not last long, with Dubois being ejected for the first time this season.

Bleakney appreciated Dubois standing up for him.

“It’s pretty cool to see a guy that really cares about his players,” Bleakney said.

Coach Dubois would have to take the long walk to the Cornbelters’ locker room out beyond right-center field. However, back in the dugout, a new energy was buzzing. 

The Cornbelters would ride Dubois energy, slamming the Horseshoes with a five-spot in the fifth with RBI hits from Tyler Thompson, Jackson Stanek, Ben Voegle, and Carter Bleakney. 

They wouldn’t stop there with Thompson striking again with a 2-run triple and Stanek hitting a sacrifice fly to score him from third. 

Normal would break the game wide open in the bottom of the seventh, scoring another 4 runs contributing to a total of 12 unanswered runs and a Cornbelters 12-4 victory. Bleakney credits Dubois for inspiring the rally. “Once Coach Billy got tossed, it fired us all up,” said Bleakney. “It was pretty cool to see.”