Sunday, June 23.
In tonight's 7:30 p.m.
game, the Breakers met the Bombers for the first time this season.
Both teams were in need of a win, but found themselves a bit short
handed. The Breakers had only 9 players suited up including Dave
Pidancet, who was gutting out a knee injury. However, former Breaker
Rob Weekes subbed in and provided them a much needed extra player.
Meanwhile, the Bombers were missing a few of their own players,
including some of their primary pitchers. A few players from the
Ironheads, already exhausted from their tough 3-1 loss to the Bears
earlier in the afternoon that went the full nine innings and was in fact
decided in the ninth, filled in admirably for the Bombers. What could
have been a sloppy game between depleted lineups on both sides wound up
being a tense, extremely well-played ball game that remained tied at 3
through five innings before the Breakers got a go-ahead run in the sixth
and broke it open with four more runs in the seventh to win it 8-3.
John Vandervennet of the Bombers stepped in and made a rare appearance on the mound. He pitched well, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) in 4 innings of work as he frustrated most of the Breaker hitters and kept them off balance with well-located fastballs that had late movement on them. His only mistake was leaving one over the plate in the fourth inning for Breaker slugger Mark Boujikian, who belted a two-run homer over the the fence in left center near the 355-foot sign.
Boujikian also started the the game on the mound for the Breakers. He pitched two solid innings but seemed to tire a bit in the third and began to lose command of his stuff, prompting a pitching change. Adam Nicolai then came in for the Breakers in his fourth relief appearance of the season. Nicolai went on to pitch 4 innings of 1-run (none earned) ball, pitching out of jams several times and frustrating the Bomber bats with well-placed fast balls that they struggled to wait on and a solid curve that he was able to get over the plate consistently or force the Bomber hitters to wave at.
Ironhead fill-in Will Ellis pitched the 5th and 6th innings for the Bombers. He was throwing a very hard fastball that the Breaker hitters struggled to get around on, but they managed to get a couple baserunners on via walk or error. The go-ahead run came in the sixth, when with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out, Breaker catcher Aron Levinson laid down a beautiful bunt down the first base line, bringing home the go-ahead run while the 2nd out was recorded at first.
The Breakers added 4 runs in the top of the 7th as another Ironhead sub, Jason "Swatch" Nimersheim, had a tough time on the mound but eventually settled down to get out of the inning. Nicolai finished off the Bombers with a scoreless bottom of the seventh, as the game reached its time limit.
While the game was played in front of an estimated Marine Field crowd of 6-8 fans, most Major League Baseball teams could have learned a valuable lesson about the energy, passion, and good sportsmanship both teams brought to the ball park.
John Vandervennet of the Bombers stepped in and made a rare appearance on the mound. He pitched well, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) in 4 innings of work as he frustrated most of the Breaker hitters and kept them off balance with well-located fastballs that had late movement on them. His only mistake was leaving one over the plate in the fourth inning for Breaker slugger Mark Boujikian, who belted a two-run homer over the the fence in left center near the 355-foot sign.
Boujikian also started the the game on the mound for the Breakers. He pitched two solid innings but seemed to tire a bit in the third and began to lose command of his stuff, prompting a pitching change. Adam Nicolai then came in for the Breakers in his fourth relief appearance of the season. Nicolai went on to pitch 4 innings of 1-run (none earned) ball, pitching out of jams several times and frustrating the Bomber bats with well-placed fast balls that they struggled to wait on and a solid curve that he was able to get over the plate consistently or force the Bomber hitters to wave at.
Ironhead fill-in Will Ellis pitched the 5th and 6th innings for the Bombers. He was throwing a very hard fastball that the Breaker hitters struggled to get around on, but they managed to get a couple baserunners on via walk or error. The go-ahead run came in the sixth, when with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out, Breaker catcher Aron Levinson laid down a beautiful bunt down the first base line, bringing home the go-ahead run while the 2nd out was recorded at first.
The Breakers added 4 runs in the top of the 7th as another Ironhead sub, Jason "Swatch" Nimersheim, had a tough time on the mound but eventually settled down to get out of the inning. Nicolai finished off the Bombers with a scoreless bottom of the seventh, as the game reached its time limit.
While the game was played in front of an estimated Marine Field crowd of 6-8 fans, most Major League Baseball teams could have learned a valuable lesson about the energy, passion, and good sportsmanship both teams brought to the ball park.
Adam Nicolai, BCBL Staff Writer
