The Brooks Bombers played a pair of seven inning games against the Sylvan Lake Gulls. Initially the two teams were supposed to play a two game series on Thursday and Friday but the weather didnt allow for that to happen. Fridays doubleheader featured a combined theme night, it was Education appreciation and Ladies night at Elks Field.
Game one saw Jordan Otjen make his second start of the season. For Sylvan Lake Owen Pote would be on the mound. Both pithcers got off to incredible starts. Both starters were throwing no hitters through three innings. Both would inherit baserunners but worked through Jams each time. Otjen was only sceduled to start the first three innings as this would be his final start as a Bomber. Otjen ended in the best way possible giving up no hits or runs in three innings.
“He’s a pitcher you want on your staff, he gives it his all in any situation and were really going to miss him”, said pitching coach Jake Zettel.
Keaton Matlick would take over from Otjen and make his Bomber debut in the top of the fourth. Marques Abulhosn would single and then make his way to third off a pair of wild pitches. Eventually he would score the first run of the ball game in a fielders choice. The Gulls finally broke the tie and carried the lead into the bottom half. The lead would only last a couple pitches as newly committed member of Texas Southern Kelton Phillips would hit a solo homerun to tie it up.
Evan Hoegler would pitch in the top of the fifth and give up back to back one out doubles to Matty Fun and Gavin Roy. Fung would come around to score as the Gulls would once again take the lead. In the bottom half a hit by pitch followed by a pair of singles would load the bases as Antony Gilbert came to the plate with two outs. He would send a fly ball to center field but it wasnt deep enough as the Bombers would leave the bases loaded.
The Gulls would score two more in the top of the sixth curtosey of a Nathan Flewelling homerun. Jacob Gillis would lead off the bottom half with a solo homerun to make it a 4-2 ball game. Vince Ray would come on in the top of the seventh and shut the door giving the Bombers a chance in the bottom half. Evan Leibl would lead off with a single and D’Andre Gaines would follow with a walk bringing up Jouseph Gelpi at the top of the order with two on and none out. Gelpi would send a ground ball to third and the unthinkable would happen. The Gulls infield turned a game ending tripple play to shatter the hopes of the Bombers and escape with a 4-2 victory.
Game two would get off to a quicker start as Matty Fung took Tyson Kilbreath to deep center field on the first pitch of the game. In the second Kenny Rhein and Nate Milk would reach base and be driven in by a Jason Green homerun. Sylvan Lake would add one more as Fung would score on a wild pitch to make it 5-0 Gulls.
Jacob Gillis would pick up right where he left off in game one as he would get Brooks started with another solo homerun. Zander Bretza, D’Andre Gaines and Dylan Bordayo would all reach reach base. Maddox Shaver would hit into a fielders choice to score a run. After Jouseph Gelpi was hit by a pitch Kelton Phillips unloaded the bases with a grand slam as the Bombers would take their first lead of the day.
Sylvan Lake would then tie it from a Nathan Flewelling solo homerun. In the bottom of the third with Maddox Shaver on second Antony Gilbert doubled as Shaver scored to regain the lead. The Gulls would come out swinging in the top of the fifth inning. The bases would be loaded with one out as Marques Abulhosn send a double to the gap that scored a pair. Gavin Roy then Singled to score two more runs. Sylvan Lake would score one more to take an 11-7 lead.
Thats ultimatly how the game would finnish as the Gulls would shut the door and sweep the double header. Although the Bombers came out on the wrong end of things there were certainly positives that came out of Friday. Kelton Phillips re emerged as a force at the plate following his commitment to Texas Southern.
“It took a hige weight off my shoulders, the whole proscess is very stressful and I felt like I was swinging free today”, said Phillips.
“I’m really proud of him and happy his future is solidified, today he looked like the Kelton Phillips I know”, said Head coach Dan Morgan.
Morgan helped coach Phillips at Richland College and has seen him and fellow pitcher Jacob Smoot both commit to play division one baseball.
Morgan believes the team is close and every game is important now if the Bombers want to push for the playoffs.
“We have shown we can contunue to hang around against good teams, I’m confident that if we play like we did today we will win down the stretch”, said Morgan.
The Bombers will hit the road now for a four game series in Fort McMurray which despite there being half the season left has major playoff implications. You can follow along on hometeamlive as well as stay up to date on Facebook, Instagram and X formally known as Twitter.
The Bombers will be back at home against Lethbridge on July 4th.