By Nick Winstead
La Crosse, Wisc.—The Battle Creek Bombers picked up where they left off at C.O. Brown and rolled into La Crosse and beat the Loggers 7-5 in the first game of the four game road trip.
Austen Thrailkill (Embry-Riddle) had the start for the Bombers and went to work right away, mowing down the first six Loggers he saw.
His job was made easier by a quick offensive output by the Bombers. Matt Dacey (Richmond) hit a three-run bomb over the right field fence, his third of the year, to put the Bombers in front in the top of the first.
In the next inning Brandon Van Horn (Dallas Baptist) would tack on one more after scoring on a wild pitch.
Dacey would help the Bomber cause again in the third inning by working a walk to lead off the inning, allowing Conor Panas (Canisius) to drive him in on a rocket to left center. The Bombers were up 5-0 going into the fourth.
In the 4th inning the Loggers found their bats and snapped the Bombers 35 inning streak of not allowing an earned run. Three Loggers would cross the plate before the inning was over.
The Loggers would tack on one more run in the fifth, forcing Austen Thrailkill from the game. His replacement, Dan Martinson (Richmond), came in and was lights out until the eighth when a leadoff walk scored.
The Bombers added to their lead in the 6th & 7th with runs by Cade Stone (LSU) and Justin Stawychny (Louisiana-Monroe), respectively.
Zac Ryan (Georgia Tech) got the Bombers out of the eighth and kept the Loggers off of the base paths in the 9th, securing the 7-5 victory.
The Bombers will try to extend their winning streak to four with a sweep of the Loggers. First pitch will be at 7:05 Central Time.
Game Notes
Austen Thrailkill: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
WP: Dan Martinson (2-0) 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB
SV: Zac Ryan (2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Matt Dacey: 1-3, HR (3), 3 RBI, 2 BB
The Battle Creek Bombers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). For more information, visit www.battlecreekbombers.com
