TCL Brazos Valley Bombers

Seven-Run Fourth Inning Carries Bombers to Series-Sweeping Shutout

Published on June 4, 2021 under Texas Collegiate League (TCL)
Brazos Valley Bombers News Release


BRYAN, Texas - The Brazos Valley Bombers stepped onto Edible Field Friday night looking to sweep the Baton Rouge Rougarou in dramatic fashion. To say they did exactly that would be an understatement.

The series closer between the Bombers and the Rougarou featured an absolutely one-sided clobbering, with the navy and gold outperforming the visiting team in every single statistic across the board. The Bombers securing a 10-0 victory sent the Rougarou back to Baton Rouge without a single win under their belt to show for the long drive home. An extravagant firework performance in the sixth inning capped off a night of victorious celebration, and fans can expect six more explosive firework showings throughout the season.

First baseman Shelby Becker said it was extremely satisfying to continue the team's undefeated streak at home for the year.

"Any competitor likes to win," Becker said. "That's what people expect out of the Bombers, and that's what we did tonight. After splitting our last two series, it feels good to finally get our first sweep of the season."

As the Brazos Valley community has come to expect, the Bombers always find success in the most exciting of ways. Designated hitter Hudson Polk did precisely that in the bottom of the third inning. Using a single by center fielder Grayson Tatrow as a distraction, Polk forced an error during a pickle to find his way home. Shortstop Bobby Lada was right behind him, scoring on the same error and giving the Bombers a 2-0 lead. Polk said the situation was so atypical that he wasn't even expecting to score when he did.

"Honestly, me making it to home plate was a happy accident," Polk said. "I was just trying to stay in the run down to help advance other runners, but things worked out in the end, and I was able to kick off the scoring for my team."

Shockingly enough, that wasn't even the highlight of the Bombers' night. The next inning featured the addition of seven more runs to the navy and gold's resume. Brazos Valley's Zane Schmidt, Troy Viola, Trevor Davis, Daniel Altman, Becker, Lada and Tatrow each found their way back to home plate. Becker recorded three RBIs in the process thanks to a triple to right field, while Davis and Tatrow each notched one. The 9-0 margin in only the fourth inning marked the highest point differential for the Bombers that early in a game all season.

An RBI single by Polk in the fifth inning brought home Viola for the second time of the night. Becker said this capped off what was ultimately a night of offensive domination.

"We just ran right over them," Becker said. "Everyone did their jobs perfectly. I just trust in all the work I've always put in, and we shut them out with ten runs on the board."

For the second game in a row, the Bombers struck out double-digit batters on their way to victory. Pitcher Triston Dixon led the team on the rubber as the Bombers Player of the Game, retiring a season-high of seven batters at the plate. Derek Saenz, Tyler Pendley, Mason Bryant and Grant Wood came in for relief, walking only four while totalling a combined 13 strikeouts for a perfect bullpen ERA of 0.00 on the night. Pitching coach JM Kelly said this is the culmination of both hard work and raw talent from his players.

"I just let my boys pitch," Kelly said. "It's fun to watch when these guys go out there and just perform with what they're capable of doing."

The Brazos Valley squad used Friday's win to climb to a season record of 4-2 as the team looks for its third-straight Texas Collegiate League Championship. Baton Rouge has been less successful, extending the team's losing streak to four after a poor showing featuring six errors with just two hits and zero runs.

The Bombers will travel to San Antonio on Saturday, June 5 to face off against the undefeated Flying Chanclas in what is sure to be the Brazos Valley's toughest matchup yet. The navy and gold will then return to Edible Field for a three-game homestand beginning Tuesday, June 8 against the Victoria Generals. Polk said it is imperative that the team stays calm going into the next week of play.

"We just have to stay hot," Polk said. "We're a really good team with a bunch of good players. If we rely on ourselves and just play our own game, we'll be just fine and keep winning."

For tickets and updates on the Bombers 2021 season, fans are encouraged to call (979) 779-PLAY or visit www.bvbombers.com. To follow all upcoming news and developments for the Brazos Valley Bombers, follow the team on facebook.com/bvbombers, Twitter: @BV_Bombers and Instagram: @bvbombers.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Texas Collegiate League Stories from June 4, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central