By: Pat Mullen
Battle Creek, Mich.- The Bombers were looking to win their fourth straight game tonight at C.O. Brown Stadium but could not get it done against the South Division foe La Crosse Loggers.
La Crosse jumped out to an early lead, getting three runs in the first and two in the third off of starting pitcher Marcellus Sneed (Madison College). That's all they needed as the Loggers won, 5-3.
Sneed went four innings, giving up all five runs before the rising pitch count ended his day.
“Obviously they got out to a big lead so hats off to them,” Coach Robinson said after the game. “They struck it to us early and it’s hard to bounce back from, but you got to lock in and stay in focus.”
The Bombers were with the Loggers the rest of the way as Matt Dacey (Richmond) had a huge knock for Battle Creek in the fourth. “Dacey came back with a big home run to cut the lead down,” Robinson quoted.
After leading off the inning with a double to right field by Spencer Thornton (San Diego State), Dacey followed it up with a bomb that cleared the center field fence.
There were other opportunities for Battle Creek at the plate, especially late in the game.
“In the ninth we had the tying run on first base and we just couldn’t get the job done,” Robinson added.
After leadoff walks from the first two hitters, The Bombers could only muster up one run in the ninth, leaving a few guys stranded as Jared Foster (LSU) flew out to left to end the ball game.
The Bombers are now 3-1 on their longest home stand off the year. Tomorrow, they head to Kalamazoo for a noon start, then back to Bailey Park where they will face the Growlers at 7:05. It will be the first same day home-and-home series between the sole Michigan teams in the NWL.
The Growlers, who beat up on the Bombers earlier in the year, are struggling of late losing seven of their last 10, sitting at 12-20 overall.
Game Notes:
Spencer Thornton: 2-4, 2B, R, SB
Matt Dacey: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
Henri Lartigue: 1-3, BB, R, SB
Bryan Daniello: 2-4, RBI
(LP) Marcellus Sneed (2-1): 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, K
Spencer Thornton has a hitting streak of five games now. Even more impressive, Thornton has had multiple hits in four straight games. Going into the pre-hitting streak, he was batting .229, and now sits at .328.
Josh Leone (Louisiana-Monroe), who pitched three innings of shutout baseball tonight in Battle Creek (season ERA of 1.47), will be leaving the Bombers in the morning. Leone is heading home for summer classes. He was one of the best arms in the Battle Creek bullpen and has been lights out all season. Josh hopes to return to the Bombers at the end of July if all goes according to plan. Either way, we wish Josh the best of luck with his schoolwork and baseball career at UL-Monroe, and we hope to see him back in Bombers red at the end of the month!
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 http://www.battlecreekbombers.com”
