By Luke Tanaka, Radio Broadcaster

La Crosse, Wis. – The Battle Creek Bombers could not contain the powerful La Crosse Loggers bats in the early innings, as the home team put up 13 runs in the first three frames and cruised to a 14-7 victory. 

Bombers starter Fred Manke (Minnesota) lasted just one-third of an inning and gave up six runs on six hits. The first batter to face Manke, Mason McCoy (Iowa), hit a line drive home run over the left-center field fence. Three batters later, Ronnie Gideon (Texas A&M) matched McCoy with a home run of his own, launching a two-run, no-doubter to straightaway left. Back-to-back doubles by Grant Fennell (Nevada) and Riley Adams (San Diego) spelled the end of Manke’s outing. 

Nathan Witt (Michigan State) replaced Manke and gave up one hit in the first inning, as the Loggers wrapped up their six-run frame with a Denz’l Chapman (San Diego State) RBI single. 

Tyler Walsh (Belmont) put the Bombers on the board in the second with a towering home run that snuck inside the left field foul pole. In the third, he added another for the Bombers, scoring Dan Swain (Siena) on a single to cut the Loggers’ lead to four. 

But La Crosse quickly one-upped themselves in the bottom half of the third, exploding for seven runs and putting the game out of reach. After a scoreless second, Witt gave up a leadoff home run to Chris Baker (Washington) and would record one out in the inning, while giving up two walks and another home run, this time of the two-run variety, to put the Loggers up 9-2. 

Kaleb McCurry (Mars Hill University) relieved Witt, but did not have any more luck against the Loggers’ bats. McCurry gave up three runs (one earned), one walk, and three hits. Newcomer Ryan Budnick (Santa Clara) recorded the innings’ two errors at third base. 

After a couple of scoreless frames, the Bombers put together a two-out rally in the sixth. Budnick and Lin Li (Taiwan) both walked and Trek Stemp (Washington State) knocked in Budnick with a single to left. Cayce Bredlau (Austin Peay) hit a triple, his second in as many days, to knock in Li and Stemp – the Bombers’ fourth and fifth runs of the day. 

The Loggers scored in the sixth to make their lead 14-5. The Bombers answered with two in the ninth, a Charlie Madden (Mercer) sacrifice fly and a Budnick bases-loaded walk, but it was too little too late. 

Evan Dunn (Pepperdine) and newcomer Nick Medeiros (Santa Clara) were the Bombers’ bright spots on the mound. The two combined for four innings giving up one run on four hits and striking out two. Walsh and Bredlau led the Bombers offensively with two RBIs each. 

Every Logger starter recorded a hit in the game and they finished with 17 in total. The offensive explosion awarded Loggers’ starter Grant Spraker (Quincy) the win. He gave up 10 hits and five runs in 5 2-3 innings. 

Tomorrow the Bombers wrap up their series with the Loggers. Cameron Ming is the scheduled starter for the Bombers against the Loggers’ Liam Carter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 local time, 8:05 Eastern time. 

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)