By. Luke Tanaka, Radio Broadcaster

Green Bay, Wis. – After scoring seven unanswered runs and taking a five-run lead in the sixth, the Bombers bullpen could not hold the lead and Battle Creek dropped their third game in a row to the Green Bay Bullfrogs 8-7. 

Green Bay took the lead with three hits in the bottom of the first off of Bombers starter Min Hsia (Taiwan). Logan Taylor (Louisville) singled and his college teammate Danny Rosenbaum (Louisville) also dumped in a base hit. Both runners ended up scoring as the Bullfrogs took a 2-0 lead. 

The Bombers pulled within one in the third inning. Cayce Bredlau (Austin Peay) hustled into second with a double. He moved to third on a groundout from Brennon Lund (BYU) and scored on Dan Swain’s (Siena) RBI single. 

The Bombers took the lead in the fifth thanks to three hits and a couple of Bullfrog errors. Christian Helsel (Penn State) and Hank Truluck (Florida State) both singled to start the inning. Bredlau reached on an error by the Bullfrogs’ third baseman Matt De La Rosa (Lenior-Rhyne), which allowed Helsel to score and Trulock to reach third. Lund gave the Bombers their first lead by knocking a single to right. Bredlau came around to score on Green Bay’s second error of the inning to make it a two-run Bombers advantage. 

Battle Creek capitalized again in the sixth, scoring three runs to take a five-run lead. Lin Li (Taiwan) and Michael Sanderson (Cal Poly) both singled to lead off the frame. Then, Helsel hit a fly ball that the Bullfrogs’ centerfielder Taylor lost in the night’s sky, which allowed Li to score from third. Sanderson and Helsel crossed the plate when Lund recorded his third single of the game.

The Bullfrogs chipped away at the lead right away with two in the bottom half of the sixth. After two quick outs, Franco Guardascione (Palm Beach State) popped up a ball on the infield that eluded Hsia’s glove. Then, Jack Strunc (Washington State) laid down a beautiful bunt, which prompted Hsia to rush a throw that ended up past Helsel and into right field. allowing Guardascione to score from first. Strunc came around on Ty Blankmeyer’s (St. John’s) RBI single. 

Another big Bullfrog inning in the seventh tied the ballgame at seven. Griffin Weir (Stanford) struggled, allowing three runs and only recording two outs. The right-hander walked Robb Paller (Columbia) to lead off the inning. Ryan Donovan (Louisville) followed two batters later with a single. Both Paller and Donovan would score on wild pitches with Paul Jacobson (South Dakota State) at the plate. Jacobson became the third run in the inning when Niko Pacheco’s (Cal State Fullerton) attempt to catch a stealing Jacobson at third sailed into left field. 

The Bombers sent Helsel to third in the eighth with Lund batting, but the left-hander lined the ball to right that was caught on the run by Green Bay’s Paller. 

The Bullfrogs scored their sixth unanswered run and took the lead in the eighth. Taylor came around to score from second as Donovan singled to centerfield. 

The Bombers went quietly in the ninth as Jake Stolley shut the door in order. 

Seven Bombers recorded hits in the ballgame with Lund leading the way (three hits, three RBIs). Helsel also had three base-knocks, scoring two runs and knocking in one as well. Swain and Trulock had two hits apiece with Swain recording another Bombers RBI. 

Hsia received the no decision, throwing six innings, allowing seven hits and four runs (two earned), while striking out three. In relief, Weir gave up three runs in recording two outs in the seventh. Dunn cleaned up the inning by forcing a fly out, but gave up the deciding run in the eighth. 

Stolley got the win, pitching 1 2-3 of shutout ball in relief. Strunc was the only Green Bay batter to record two hits. 

The Bombers and the Bullfrogs both travel to Green Bay to play two at C.O. Brown Stadium this weekend. First pitch tomorrow is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. It is also Super Saturday presented by The Onstaff Group, the theme: Boy Scouts & Star Wars Night. The night will feature all your favorite Star Wars characters. Plus, kids dressed in Star Wars costumes receive free a free kids meal. The first 500 fans will receive a lightsaber courtesy of The OnStaff Group. Fans can stick around after the game for a fireworks show.

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)