The Brazos Valley Bombers defeated the Victoria Generals 13-8 on Sunday night in what turned out to be an offensive shootout. The two teams combined for 35 hits on the night after a 30 minute weather delay to start the game.
Victoria received some much needed rain on Sunday, but it was not enough to cool off the Bombers offense as they jumped out to an early 6-0 lead off of Generals starting pitcher Zac Vasek who was making his first appearance of the season. Vasek allowed six earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work and took the loss.
David Paiz, Jr. led off the bottom of the first innings with a solo home run, his second of the season, to straight away left field to make it a 6-1 game. Paiz will represent the Generals in the 2013 TCL Home Run Derby on Tuesday night in Kilgore preceding the All-Star Game.
The Generals made it 6-2 in the third inning as Romeo Cortina doubled, moved to third on an error, and scored on a wild pitch.
The Bombers got the run back in the top of the fourth before the Generals tacked on four runs in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 7-6. Jacob Hubert and J.D. Stinnett scored on a J.B. Moss single up the middle. Cortina then brought home Drew Featherston a sacrifice fly before Jordan Camel sent a single into centerfield to score Moss.
The Bombers and Generals traded runs in the fifth to make it 8-7. Hayden Vesely came through with an RBI single to score Moss.
Neither team scored in the sixth or seventh inning, the only two innings in the game that remained scoreless.
The Bombers were able to extend their lead to 13-7 in the top of the eighth off of Generals relief pitcher Kris Looper.
The Generals tried to mound a rally in the bottom of the ninth. After loading the bases with one out, Paiz sent a sacrifice fly into right field to score Moss, but that would be it for the Generals as the Bombers closed the door on the 13-8 victory. The Generals left 17 runners on base in the game.
With the loss, the Generals season record falls to 17-17 and 0-4 in the second-half. The Bombers improve to 29-5 overall and 3-1 in the second-half.
The Generals have three days off for the TCL All-Star Break. The All-Star Game will be played at Driller Park in Kilgore on Tuesday night at 7:05pm.
The Generals return home after the break to host the East Texas Pump Jacks on Thursday night at 7:05pm at Riverside Stadium. Thursday night is VC Night at the Ballpark and Thirsty Thursday presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s with $1 draft beer on the party deck all game long.
Box Score: http://tcl-generals.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=139723
Article courtesy of the Victoria Advocate: http://www.advosports.com/news/2013/jul/08/mf_generals_070813_214174/
Warrior Supply Warrior of the Game - Romeo Cortina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuzprvaWZdk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWDRnu_qQ4kyQEK9oqND7FA
