Late Homer Seals D-Backs Victory

By Dean Barker
A seventh inning three run homer from Cody Bartley would give the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks the cushion they needed to beat the defending RCBL champion Broadway Bruins 5-1 at home on Friday, July 2. The win came after two straight losses for the Diamondbacks, who moved to 6-5, but will stay in sixth place. The loss dropped the Bruins to 6-4 and a three-way tie with the Clover Hill Bucks and New Market Shockers for third place.

D-Backs starter Trevor Mitchell gave up one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts in four innings. Reliever Parker Heinemann qualified for the win, giving up just one hit in four innings and striking out five to move to 1-0. Chandis Goff had one walk and one strikeout in the ninth for Stuarts Draft. Starter Jacob Petersheim took the loss for Broadway, giving up two earned runs in three innings. Isaac VanMeter would pitch the next three scoreless innings, giving up four hits with two strikeouts, while also going 1-1 at the plate. James Riddel gave up three earned runs on three hits in the last two innings.

The D-Backs would threaten in the second, as Cody Bartley reached third on a single from Chaz Harvey, but both runners would be stranded. This would make way for a one-out solo shot from Jett Shue in the top of the third to make the score 1-0 Broadway. The Bruins would then load the bases, but Mitchell would retire the next two batters to escape the jam. Stuarts Draft would respond in the bottom half, as with two outs and the bases loaded, Dan Scott would rip a two RBI single to right field, making the score 2-1. However, Will Hass would be thrown out trying to take third. The D-Backs would leave the bases loaded in the fourth.

VanMeter led off the sixth inning with a hopper over shortstop Grayson Bush. After a groundout from Bryce Turner moved him to second, he would reach third on a passed ball. Broadway, however, would not be able to bring him home, and VanMeter was the last Bruin to reach scoring position for the night.

The Diamondbacks bats would go silent until the bottom of the seventh, when Zach Roberts single and Calen Owens would be hit, and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Broadway head coach Chip Abernathy would contest the calls on both the hit by pitch and the throw to third on the passed ball, but to no avail. Jeff Riddel would retire Will Hass, but Cody Bartley would rip a three run homer over the left field fence to finalize the score at 5-1.

Shue led the Bruins in defeat, going 2-3 with a single and one RBI on a home run. Trent Abernathy went 2-3 with a single and a double. The Bruins were held to five hits and two walks, and left seven runners on base.

Stuarts Draft was led by Bartley, who went 3-4 with three RBIs and one run scored. Scott went 1-3 with one hit-by-pitch and two RBIs. Roberts went 3-4 with a hit-by-pitch and two runs scored. Owens went 0-3, but was hit by two pitches and scored twice. Hass and Chaz Harvey both went 2-4. The Diamondbacks had twelve hits, one walk and four hit-by-pitches, and left nine runners on base. Neither team had any errors in the field.

Bartley said he was able to perform at the plate by going after the pitches.

“I was looking to get a hit, I wasn’t up there trying to take a walk or nothing. I was looking to attack the baseball,” Bartley told RCBL’s Dean Barker. “I also went up there with a confident attitude, and I think (I had) a really good four at-bats.”

The Diamondbacks will travel to Montezuma tonight at 7:30 pm to take on the first-place Braves. The Bruins will take the weekend off before heading to the Clover Dome on Monday, July 5 at 7:30 pm to take on the Clover Hill Bucks.