Clifton Thomas
Brazos Valley Bombers 7 Brazos Valley Bombers 1
Victoria, TX (July 16, 2009) –
The Brazos Valley Bombers got back on track with a 7-1 win over the first-place Victoria Generals, to improve to 16-14 on the season. Clifton Thomas collected two hits, including his third triple, which broke the Bombers’ single season record.
The Bombers scored in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead and never looked back. Thomas opened up the game with a triple on the second pitch and scored to give the Bombers the lead.
Kennedy Winn was in a groove throughout the game, as he held the Generals to just one run in eight innings. The hurler from the University of Oklahoma also struck out eight, while just allowing seven hits. Garrett Fanchier pitched a perfect ninth inning to seal the win for the Bombers, who moved to within two and a half games of first-place Victoria.
The Bombers collected 12 hits in the game, including multiple hits from Thomas, Robby Graham, John Cannon and Jesse Payne. Brazos Valley will look to earn a sweep over the Generals with a win tomorrow, as Mitchell Pitts will face off against Tyler King.
McKinney Marshals 6 East Texas Pump Jacks 1
Even during an East Texas summer, it has to rain sometime… and sometimes at the most inopportune times.
The heavens opened up late Thursday night, prematurely bringing to an end an East Texas Pump Jacks 6-1 loss at the hands of the McKinney Marshals. The Jacks loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning but were unable to score, after which the rains came and washed out the final inning.
The Marshals struck first, picking up solo runs in the second and fourth innings off of starter Jamie Niley. McKinney tacked on two more in the top of the sixth inning on a two-RBI triple by Casey Selsor that ended the night for Niley. Kory Cleveland came on to strand Selsor at third and hold the score at 4-0.
The Jacks responded in the home half of the sixth. Russell LaFleur led off with a single, and two outs later Kyle Frasard registered a safety of his own. Mike Petello dropped a single into left-center field, scoring LaFleur and putting East Texas on the board.
The winds then began swirling and blowing out to right field, for the first time this season possibly giving hitters an advantage in the very pitcher-friendly Driller Park. Unfortunately, the Pump Jacks couldn’t take advantage of the environment. The Marshals tacked on two runs in the top of the eighth, and the Jacks loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame, only to be denied.
