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Published On: June 24th, 2016

By: Ari Ross, Broadcaster

After the Rochester Honkers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, the Battle Creek Bombers battled back with an eight-run third inning, topping the Honkers, 8-5.

Malcom Grady started out a bit rough in his first start for the Bombers, as he loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning. After Jackson Thorson hit a sacrifice fly for the Honkers, giving Rochester a 1-0 lead, Grady was able to get Joey Czarski to ground out, but the Honkers added two more runs in the inning off hits by Chase Lambert and Jacob Thomas, taking a 4-0 lead.

And as Grady settled down after the first inning, the Bombers fought back and gave him the lead in the bottom of the third.

Jacob Blunt led of the bottom of the third with a walk, and after Alejandro Gomez popped out, Ryan Dorow walked to put runners at first and second. And after Nick Piorier beat out Kyle Kasser's throw to prevent the double play, the Bombers bats came alive.

Daniel Patzlaff smacked a double to left-center, scoring Blunt and Piorier, cutting the Honkers lead to two. Jipping followed Patzlaff with a double of his own, as the Honkers lead was again cut, this time to one.

After Dean Miller was hit by a pitch, Christian Helsel doubled, scoring Jipping and Miller, and giving the Bombers their first lead of the game. Kevin Dupree followed Helsel's double with a single, scoring Helsel, and extending the Bombers lead to 6-4.

But the Bombers big third inning wouldn't end there as with the Bombers batting around Blunt and Gomez got in on the action, each hitting doubles to extend the Bombers lead to 8-4.

In total, the Bombers scored eight runs on six hits in the third, with five of their six hits being doubles.

And with a four-run lead, Grady settled down as returned to the mound in the fifth, and picked up his first win of the year for the Bombers, pitching six innings, allowing four runs, just one of which was earned, on six hits and striking out one.

Krystien Johnson-Battiliana came on in relief for Grady in the seventh and pitched three innings, en route to the Bombers 8-5 victory.

The Honkers added a run in the eighth against Johnson-Battiliana, bringing the game-tying run to the plate, but Johnson-Battiliana would get out of the inning by striking out Casey Worden looking.

With the win, the Bombers move to 13-12 on the year, while the Honkers drop their seventh straight, moving to 5-17 on the year.

The Bombers are back in action Friday night for the final game of their homestand as they finish up the two-game set against Rochester at 7:05.