Bruins Capitalize on Reds’ Defensive Woes

By Dean BarkerThree days after the Bridgewater Reds beat the Broadway Bruins 12-8, Broadway returned the favor, utilizing five Bridgewater errors to stump the Reds 12-2 at Ray Heatwole Field on Tuesday, June 29. The game was called after seven, due to the mercy rule. With the win, the Bruins improved to 6-3, while the Reds fell to 2-9. Every Bruin in the starting lineup reached base at least once.

Jacob Bell picked up his first win of the season to move to 1-0, striking out ten in seven innings. He gave up two runs, none of which were earned. Logan Phelps took the loss to move to 0-2, being responsible for five runs in two innings, four of which were earned. Phelps replaced Pablo Suarez, who was the scheduled starter. Suarez would also give up five runs in two innings, with two earned runs.

Bell was very pleased with his performance, in which he one-upped his nine strikeout performance from June 20 against Stuarts Draft.

“My arm felt good tonight, you know, catchers were in sync tonight,” Bell told RCBL’s Dean Barker. “(My) pitches were good, (they) were located off the plate, just getting chased all night.”

The Reds capitalized on Bruins mistakes in the bottom of the first. Derek Shifflet’s fly ball to right center was called off and dropped by center fielder Peyton Davis, allowing Shifflet to reach second. Brett Tharp would attempt a sacrifice bunt down the first base line, which led Bell to overthrow to first, allowing Shifflet to score. After a single from Corbin Lucas moved Tharp to third, Antonio Florentino-Sosa would strikeout swinging. However, on the third strike, Lucas would unsuccessfully attempt to steal second, distracting the infield to allow Tharp to come home, making the score 2-0.

The Bruins would come storming back in the top of the third, batting around the lineup. Bryce Turner, Ben Hutcheson and Justin Lohr would lead off with a single each, Lohr’s being a bunt. Trent Abernathy’s sharp liner bounced off second baseman Tharp into right field, allowing two runners to come home. Abernathy would reach second on a throwing error from right fielder Lucas. Caleb Taylor would follow up with an RBI single to make it 3-2, at which Pablo Suarez would come in for Bridgewater. He was greeted by a three run homer from Devon Neal to make the score 6-2 Broadway. Suarez would retire the next three to end the inning.

Thanks to two Reds errors in the top of the fourth, Broadway would add two more. A sharp grounder from Turner was too much for Florentino-Sosa to handle, and a Hutcheson grounder off Suarez’s foot would allow Turner to reach third. Lohr would hit a sacrifice grounder to shortstop to bring in Turner. Hutcheson would attempt to take third, and a wild throw from Dylan Horne would allow him to score, increasing the lead to 8-2. 
The beating just didn’t stop, as Jett Shue would reach second on a throwing error from Florentino-Sosa to lead off the fifth. Davis would rip a double to left to drive him in, at which point Reds head coach Robert Sherfey would pull Suarez for Wyatt Dansey. Turner would rip an RBI double to left center. Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Taylor’s RBI double to right field made the score 12-2. Dansey would escape a bases loaded jam to end the fifth.

The Reds’ five errors would haunt them, as they would account for four unearned runs. Bridgewater left eight on base. They were led in defeat by Tharp, who went 2-2 with a run scored, along with Shifflet, who was 2-3 with a run scored.

Neal went 1-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Taylor went 3-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Abernathy went 2-4 with two RBIs, a run scored and a walk. Turner was 2-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Lohr went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. 

Bell said the Bruins’ offense was vital to his performance.

“It was huge, because it not only helps me, but it helps our team, because then, we save up all our pitchers for later on in the season,” Bell said. “We’re able to go farther in games and help get quality wins.”

The Bruins will be back in action tomorrow night, June 30, when they host the Clover Hill Bucks at 7:30 pm. The Reds will have three nights to go back to the drawing board before they travel to Elkton to face the Blue Sox on Saturday, July 3, at 7:30 pm.

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