By Max Gun, Radio Broadcaster

The Battle Creek Bombers returned from the All-Star break and gave up nine runs to the Kenosha Kingfish in a losing effort, falling 13-2.

The Kingfish scored two runs in the very first inning off of Bombers starter Nick Medeiros (Santa Clara). Alex Borglin (Central Michigan) reached on a fielders choice, Eric Filia (UCLA) singled, and Jeremy Vazquez (Flordia) walked to load the bases with one out. After striking out Alex Dunlap (Stanford), Medeiros surrendered a two-run single to All-Star Jason Scholl (Eastern Illinois) that scored Borglin and Filia to make it 2-0 Kingfish.

Kenosha added to their lead in the second inning, tagging Merdeiros for three more runs. TJ Nichting (Charlotte) led off with a single, and John Brodner (Wright St.) and Borglin followed with walks to load the bases for the second consecutive inning. Nichting scored on a Filia RBI groundout, and Vazquez doubled home Brodner and Borglin to put Kenosha ahead 5-0 after two innings.

Battle Creek chipped away into Kenosha’s lead in the third inning, when they scored two runs. Dan Swain (Siena) singled and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and then Brennon Lund (BYU) walked. Lin Li (Taiwan) singled the opposite way to drive in Swain, and Niko Pacheco (Cal St Fullerton) hit a sacrifice fly to score Lund to bring the Bombers within 5-2.

A four-run Kingfish fifth inning was the nail in the coffin for the Bombers. Vazquez led off the inning with a walk, Dunlap singled and Scholl walked to load the bases with nobody out. Brody Westmoreland (San Diego St) then singled to bring home Vazquez to extend Kenosha’s lead to 6-2. That spelled the end of the day for Medeiros, and on came Chase Tavonatti (Salt Lake CC). Tavonatti inherited a bases loaded, one out jam, and he walked the first hitter he faced, Brodner, to walk in a run and make it 7-2 Kingfish. That brought up the top of the order in Zack Weigel (Seaton Hall), and Tavonatti walked him as well to bring in another run to give Kenosha an 8-2 lead. Tavonatti’s control issues continued when he uncorked a wild pitch to the next hitter to bring home another run, and the Kingfish’s lead was 9-2.  

Kenosha padded their lead in the seventh inning. Tavonatti struck out the first two hitters in the inning, but then four straight Kingfish hitters reached, with two runs scoring on a Filia single. That made the score 11-2.

But the Kingfish weren’t done. They added two more in the ninth to make the score 13-2, and they won by that score in blowout fashion.

Medeiros (0-2) took the loss for Battle Creek. He lasted just 4 and one thirds innings, allowing 8 hits and 9 earned runs. He walked a season-high 7 and struck out just one. Tavonatti allowed  two runs after going 2 and two-thirds innings pitched, and Chet Joslyn (Valparasio) allowed two earned runs in his two innings of work.

The Bombers record is now 19-36 and 6-14 in the second half. They’ll wrap up their home portion of the series with Kenosha on Friday night, before following the Kingfish to Kenosha to play two more in the home-and-home series.

Friday is Christmas in July at C.O. Brown Stadium. There will be a wooden bat giveaway to the first 300 kids (14 years and under). The ballpark will be decorated in Christmas Lights presented by Int' Festival of Lights. There will also be an appearance by Detroit Tigers mascot, Paws. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

The Battle Creek Bombers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). For more information, visit www.battlecreekbombers.com.