Bombers have lead when Legion game stopped
Jul. 9—The Owensboro Post 9 Bombers were up on Harrisburg (Ill.) 8-0 in the bottom of the third inning when the American Legion baseball game was stopped because of lightning and an impending thunderstom that descended on the area about 8:40 Friday night.
The Bombers put up five runs in the bottom of the second with the help of a double by Easton Blandford that scored three runs at Kamuf Park. Gavyn Minyard singled and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Bombers plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Harrison Bowman singled to start the game and advanced to third on a double by Brock Brubaker. Blandford singled to score Bowman. Charles Schneider doubled to left to bring in Brubaker.
Minyard collected an RBI in the bottom of the third with a double and then the game was stopped and postponed with one out. American Legion officials didn't know if the game would be continued Saturday.
Bombers starting pitcher Peyton Cary gave up three hits and struck out six in three innings.
The Jimmy V Classic was in its first night Friday, and it will continue Saturday where the Bombers will play Princeton (Ind.), weather permitting. That is one of four games scheduled. There will be three more games Sunday.
Bombers coach Matt Freeman said the 5-run inning was a pleasant surprise, since they had been in a bit of a scoring slump.
"That's a really good baseball team (Harrisburg) the last game we played them we got beat 10-8, they scored three late runs against us," Freeman said. "They're a good hitting team, we were lucky to be able to get out and smash the baseball around against a guy who was throwing in the mid-80s.
"Hitting wise, we've struggled a little early on. I don't know we've had the same batting lineup more than two or three times. The kids are starting to hit the baseball a lot better than they did at the beginning of the season."
That was Harrisburg starter Drew Hawkins.
Blandford has done a good job of hitting in the middle of the lineup.
"He'll be a junior at Apollo, has done a fantastic job for us," Freeman said. "He just turned 16 and we're putting him in the middle of the order. He's probably batting about .420.
