Despite a strong defensive effort on the mound, the Bombers fell to the Strykers Tuesday night 4-2.
Brazos Valley was able to get on the board first in the top of the third when center fielder Blake Kopetsky was able to get on base on an error, then later was brought in on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Horacio Correa III. The Strykers responded in the bottom of the inning by scoring one of their own to tie the game.
In the fourth, Bombers’ pitcher Brad Vachon nailed two strikeouts to quickly end the inning, but did not receive the same momentum in the fifth, when The Woodlands was able to bring in another run to take the lead. In the bottom of the sixth the Bombers suffered the same fate as the Strykers brought in another run, bringing the score to 3-1. The top of the eighth brought an attempted comeback by the Bombers when Kopetsky ripped a double and was brought in on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Miles Manning. Unfortunately, the run would be the last earned for the Bombers. The Strykers brought in one of their own in the bottom of the eighth, doubling the Bombers’ score. The game ended with the defeat of the Bombers with a score of 4-2.
Vachon, a junior from University of Texas Arlington, brought the heat on the mound for five innings with six strikeouts, matching the total amount by the Strykers in nine innings. Kurt Giller, a junior from Oral Roberts University, held down the last three innings with five strikeouts of his own.
The Bombers return to American Momentum Bank Ballpark next Saturday, June 22 to face the Victoria Generals at 7:05pm.