(Battle Creek, MI) – The Battle Creek Bombers clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history with a win Wednesday night in Wausau, Wisconsin demolishing the Wisconsin Woodchucks 8-2.  The Bombers needed help in order to clinch the spot and they got it when the Eau Claire Express defeated the Madison Mallards 7-5 in Eau Claire Wednesday night.

Battle Creek came out swinging when Jordan Dean led-off the game with a triple into left field, and he scored immediately on a Jimmy Martinez ground ball. The Chucks struck back in the bottom of the inning, however, when Mike Gerber broke baseball taboo by swinging at a 3-0 pitch and hit a solo homerun. But the Bomb Squad didn’t flinch: it was all Battle Creek from there on out. The Bombers offense had a field day against Jonathan Boresman, highlighted by a two-run homer by Troy White (5) and standout plate performances by Dean (3-4, bb) and Dan Dispensa (3-4, rbi).

Troy Forton threw seven impeccable innings and gave up just two runs and struck out five, while Nolan Sanburn made his third standout appearance and struck out the side in the eighth and ninth inning.  The Bombers finish in 1^st place in the Southern Division with a 20-13 record in the 1^st half.  With the Bombers 2010 record being 20-50 overall, the Bombers complete the “worst to first” transformation with the win Wednesday night.

The Bombers begin the season’s second half at C.O. Brown Stadium on Thursday, hosting the first of a two-games series with the Waterloo Bucks.  Playoff details and dates will be announced at a later date.