Bombers strike; 1-0 in Babe Ruth Regionals

Albia, Iowa (westernkansasnews.com)-In 2013, Garden City’s 15 and under team automatically qualified for the regional tournament since they were hosting. The result: an early exit. 12 months later, the motivation from defeat has kicked into high gear. 

After a nearly two-hour rain delay, the Bombers went to work-blasting Santa Fe, Colorado 7-2 in the opener of the 2014 Babe Ruth Regional Tournament on Thursday afternoon. 

“We played well,” Head Coach Travis Brunson said. “We knew what we had to do and did it.”

Of course it definitely helps when your pitching is solid. Eric Heiman started the game-yielding two runs on four hits while walking one. Then Syrus Schwartz slammed the door-tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. He fanned nine. 

“Felt pretty good coming in in the third inning,” Schwartz said. “I shut them down, and my defense helped me out a lot.”

Offensively speaking-Bombers first baseman Raymond Urrutia blasted a solo shot in the third-giving Garden City a 4-1 advantage. They extended the lead in the fourth on A.J. Ortega’s RBI groundout to stake a 5-2 lead; then put the clamps down when Steven Herrada smoked a two-run single. 

Next up: Garden City vs. Fargo, N.D.-Friday, August 8 10 a.m.