Nico Azpilcueta blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to lift the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp to a 13-10 walk-off victory over the Burlington Bees at Schweickert Stadium in Peru.
Azpilcueta’s homer capped the Shrimps rally from a four-run deficit.
The Bees led 10-6 after six innings, and Illinois Valley began to chip away with a run in the seventh when Xander Sielken scored on a wild pitch.
The Shrimp tied the game in the eighth when Isaiah Hart smacked a solo homer and Justin Rios ripped a two-run double, scoring Nick Chavez and Azpilcueta.
The game as back and forth all night as the Bees scored two runs each in the first and second innings.
The Shrimp tied it with a four-run second when Azpilcueta scored on a wild pitch, Louis Perona hit an RBI groundout, Kendren Kinzie drew a bases-loaded walk and Emanuel Andujar was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Burlington scored a run in the third, and the Shrimp responded with a two-run single by Tyler Dorsch in their half of the inning.
The Bees built their 10-6 lead with three runs in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth innings.
Azpilcueta finished 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs, Rios was 3 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs and Dorsch went 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs.
Sebastian Gonzalez earned the win in relief for the Shrimp (2-2), allowing one earned run on three hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings.
