Bucks and Bruins Split Doubleheader

By Dean Barker
​The Broadway Bruins and Clover Hill Bucks split a double header in Broadway on Saturday, June 17, with the Bruins winning game one 6-1 and the Bucks taking game two 5-1. The Bucks moved to 9-3 and the Bruins moved to 6-5.
 
“We’re just playing fundamental baseball, that’s what we talked about, what we preach,” Bucks head coach Kevin Chandler said. “Play good defense, string good at bats together, press them 90 feet, that’s what we talk about all the time, and these guys are really buying into it, and gelling well together, so it’s been fun so far.”
 
Bruins head coach Bryce Strawderman was happy to pick up one game against the first place Bucks.
 
“That’s a good baseball team, that’s one of the better teams we’ll see all year,” Strawderman said. “We started to string it together in the first game, which is good to see after the last couple of nights. Second game, we’ve just gotta take care of the baseball, four errors is the story of that game.”
 
Carl Keenan took the win in game one for Broadway to improve to 2-2, going a full seven and giving up one earned run on four hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. Keenan was 3-6 with an RBI at the plate for the whole day. Tucker Hrasky was handed the loss for Clover Hill to fall to 2-1, going a full six innings and giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
 
“I just put the ball in the zone a lot, lot of swings and misses on my fastball, I didn’t have to rely on my offspeed too much, just used it to get me over, just threw a lot of strikes,” Keenan said. “At the plate, just staying through it, keeping things simple.”
 
With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the second in game one, a grounder from James Sibert was bobbled at second, allowing the first run to score. Ozzie Torres followed it up with a two run single to center to make it 3-0. A fifth inning two-out, two-run double from Micah Canterbury pushed the lead to 5-0, and Keenan would help his cause with an RBI single to right, making it 6-0.
 
A two out double from Jose Rocha in the sixth gave Luke Shifflett the chance to drive him in with a single to left, getting the Bucks on the board at 6-1, but they could do no more.
 
The Bruins had six runs on eight hits with one error and three runners left on base. Torres led the way for the Brew Crew, going 2-4 with two RBIs. Canterbury was 1-3 with two RBIs. Keenan was 2-3 with an RBI. Adam Whetzel and Jayden Nixon were both 1-2. Ethan Burgreen went 1-3. James Sibert was 0-3 with an RBI.
 
The Bucks had one run on four hits with two errors and four runners stranded. Shifflett was 1-3 with an RBI. Josh Eberly, John Siciliano and TJ Johnson were all 1-3.
 
Jaden Isidro picked up the win in game two, moving to 2-0 and pitching five innings and giving up one earned run on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Tyler Conley pitched two scoreless innings of relief with one hit, three walks and no strikeouts.
 
“After losing one, we said ‘good teams don’t lose two games in a row,’ so we knew we’d need a good outing from Isidro,” Conley said. “He came in and did his job, and I was able to come in the last two (innings) and shut the door.”
 
Micah Canterbury took the loss to fall to 1-1, pitching four innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Colin McGuire pitched two innings of relief, giving up two earned runs on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Karl Jennings pitched a scoreless seventh with no hits or walks and one strikeout.
 
The Bruins got started early, as Ozzie Torres would single, steal second and take third on a wild pickoff attempt, and score on a Colin McGuire sac fly in the first.
 
With two in scoring position in the top of the fourth, a Caden Simmers grounder to short would bring in the tying run in John Siciliano, and a sac fly from Brooks Bowman would give Clover Hill the lead. Eberly would bring in another with an RBI single to make it 3-1.
 
With two on and two out in the top of the fifth, Simmers would drive in both with an RBI single and reached second on a throwing error from the pitcher. The Bucks and the Bruins both left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
 
The Bucks had five runs on six hits with one error and eleven runners left on base. Simmers was 2-4 with two RBIs to lead the Bucks. Eberly was 1-4 with an RBI. John Siciliano and TJ Johnson were both 1-4. Alex Knicely was 1-3. Bowman was 0-3 with an RBI.
 
The Bruins had one run on six hits with four errors and eight base runners stranded. Sibert was 2-3. McGuire was 1-2 with an RBI. Torres was 1-4. Canterbury was 1-1. Keenan was 1-3.
 
The Bucks will be back in action when they travel to the Bridgewater Reds on Tuesday, June 20 at 7:30 pm. The Bruins will host the Reds on Friday, June 23 at 7:30 pm.

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