By: Max Gun
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.—The Battle Creek Bombers were swept by the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, losing both games of the double header at Witter Field.
The Bombers bats went quiet in game two, as Bombers starter Cameron Ming (Arizona) took the loss for the Bombers. He gave up four earned runs in 4.1 innings of work, walking four on six hits. That’s all the Rafters needed to beat Battle Creek in game two.
In the second inning with the bases loaded, Bombers third baseman Matt Simmons (Gardner-Webb) fielded a ground ball off the bat of Jonah Bride (Neosho CC). Instead of throwing to first or stepping on third base for the force out, Simmons decided to chase Casey Danley (Illinois Central) to tag him out, and Dimetrius Sims (Bethune-Cookman) scored before Simmons was able to tag Danley to make it 1-0 Rafters.
In the third inning, Sam Tolleson (Central Florida), hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Mitchell McGeein (Eastern Michigan) to make it 2-0 Rafters. Later in the third, Demetrius Sims singled the opposite way to left field to score Blake Molitor (Illinois State) to make the score 3-0 Wisconsin Rapids.
The Bombers got one run back in the fifth inning on a Spencer Hemphill (Louisiana Monroe) single scoring Tyler Walsh (Belmont), which cut the lead to 3-1, but the Bombers still had the bases loaded and were threatening. However, Trek Stemp (Washington State) tried scoring a ball that got past the catcher Tyler Johnson (Navarro CC), but it didn’t get far enough as the ball bounced off of Johnson and he was able to pick it up and tag Stemp before he crossed home. Tim McKeithan (Brown) then struck out looking to end the frame.
In the bottom of the fifth, Rafters infielder Mitchell McGeein crushed a solo home run to left field, extending Wisconsin Rapids’ the lead to 4-1.
Battle Creek made things interesting in the ninth inning, however, as Trek Stemp lead off with a walk and Spencer Hemphill was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved those runners up, and then Christian Helsel (Penn State) walked, but the ball got away from Rafters catcher Tyler Johnson so Stemp was able to score to make the score 4-2. McKeithan then hit an RBI groundout to make the score 4-3 with two outs, and putting a runner at third base for the Bombers hottest hitter, Dan Swain (Siena). Swain hit a hard ground ball to third base, and was out at first base by a step-and-a-half to end the game.
The Bombers finish their road trip with a record of 2-5, which puts their overall record at 7-10 through seventeen games.
Battle Creek now travels back home for a four-game home stand. They’ll take on the Waterloo Bucks and the Madison Mallards.
First pitch on Saturday night against the Waterloo bucks is at 7:05 p.m. EST.
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.
(Story photo courtesy of Battle Creek Photography and Design – Levi Green)
