Coach Brian's Game #4 Blog

Game #4, August 3, 2010 (11 pm)

ESPN Wide World of Sports Field #23

Opponent: LA Bayou Bandits (Ruston, LA)

Game Summary

NC Bombers 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1r 2h 1e

LA Bayou Bandits 0 0 0 0 0 4 x 4r 4h 1e

NCB Pitching: C.Loeb, Q.Connolly (6) Catch: J.Reisinger

Losing Pitcher: Chris Loeb

Top Hitters: C.McGuire 1x3; Q.Connolly 1x3.

Bandits win the battle of the Southpaws.

Afternoon thunderstorms delayed our game last night. What was supposed to start at 8:30pm didn’t start until 11:00pm. After a scoreless 1^st inning, Aaron Pierce hit a 2-out shot to right field that was dropped (2-base error). He went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on ball in the dirt that only bounced about 6 feet away from home plate (great read!!!). Leading 1-0, left-hander Chris Loeb went right through the Bandits line-up. He retired the 1^st 13 batters before allowing a walk in the 5^th. Up 1-0 going to the bottom of the 6^th, Chris gave up his 1^st hit of the game to left-fielder Colton McSwain. After getting a soft-line out to 1B Quinn Connolly, their left-handed pitcher Dalton Horton drove a pitch to the right-center gap for a triple, scoring McSwain to tie the game-up. Their #10 hitter in the line-up, with the infield in, hit a ground ball that went through Connolly to give the Bandits a 2-1 lead. Lead-off hitter Chris Reid then doubled over Tanner Dodson’s head in left field (3-1 now), went to third on a single, and scored on a passed ball for a 4-1 lead. Connolly struck out 2 batters to end the unfortunate 6^th inning. The Bombers could only manage a walk by Matt Kelly before Chris Loeb ended the game on a ground-out to the pitcher. Bandit lefty Horton gave up only 2 hits (a Corey McGuire lead-off single in the 1^st and a Quinn Connolly line drive to right field in the 4^th) and 2 walks while striking out 6 Bombers. Loeb finished with 6 strike-outs and only 1 walk while pitching 75 pitches (51 strikes). Both starting pitchers were outstanding tonight. The Bandit hitters were able to put together one good inning which won them the game. The Bombers outfielders played their best game of the tournament last night. Tanner Dodson (LF), Corey McGuire (CF), and Isaiah Garcia (RF) recorded 7 put-outs on fly balls. They each made at least one outstanding catch.

On a negative note, starting third baseman David Mickle injured his left hand/wrist while diving into 1^st base. He had to come out of the game in the 2^nd inning and his status for the rest of the tournament is unknown.

Bombers are now in the loser’s bracket and face a tough schedule. Today we will play the loser of this morning’s (8am) game between the #1 DBAT Mustangs and the #8 Georgia Roadrunners. Game time is for 12:30pm. A Bomber win results in a game tomorrow (Thursday) at 10:15am.

Don’t count us out yet!

Coach Brian