BATON ROUGE, La. (June 15, 2021) — In a tough away loss, the Brazos Valley Bombers fell to the Baton Rouge Rougarou, 6-4, for the first time in 2021.

Both teams showcased a new high-offense strategy, putting on one of the highest two-sided scoring matchups seen by the Texas Collegiate League this summer. Even in defeat, the Bombers managed to overcome what has arguably been the team’s greatest challenge of the season — awakening the bats. The navy and gold secured four multi-bag shots to the outfield in their latest showing.

A rough start for the Bombers saw Baton Rouge put three on the board in the first inning, using two errors to plate the runners while recording only one hit across eight batters faced.

Wanting to keep the team’s undefeated streak against the Rougarou alive, the Bombers struck back in the top of the second. Three consecutive stand-up doubles by shortstop Bobby Lada, second baseman Daniel Altman and left fielder Alex Vegara brought two home, making it a one-run ballgame.

The Bombers rally continued in the fourth inning. Altman made it on base with a beautiful bunt to the left of the pitcher, then eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Hudson Polk. With the score now tied at three, both teams felt the pressure of the rain-delayed game at full force.

A three-hit seventh inning gave the Rougarou the lead for the second time of the night. Two doubles paved the way for a rally, putting Baton Rouge up 3-6 and marking the matchup’s second three-run differential.

Lada and Altman did their best to keep the Bombers in the game, adding one more run to the navy and gold’s resume with a double to left field and an RBI groundout.

Relief pitcher Isaac Crabb was the defensive standout on the night, marking his best career appearance on the mound for the 2021 season. Crabb struck out six, with a pickoff at first, to finish with a perfect ERA of 0.00. Zach Poe and Dylan Johnson also retired multiple batters in their Tuesday appearances.

On the offensive side of the diamond, Altman was the clear standout. The second baseman notched two runs and two RBIs, playing a part in every one of the Bombers’ runs for the night. Altman has successfully bounced back from a mid-season batting slump, slowly climbing upward with a new batting average of .216. 

After Tuesday’s series-opening loss, Brazos Valley falls to a 6-7 record while Baton Rouge inches forward to 3-6 on the season. The Bombers still hold a 2-1 season edge over the Rougarou. Brazos Valley returns to action Wednesday, June 16 for a rematch against Baton Rouge. Following a one-game trip to Acadiana, the Bombers will head back to Edible Field on Friday, June 18 to face off against the San Antonio Flying Chanclas. Friday’s Nurses Appreciation Night will see the celebration of essential medical workers in the Bryan-College Station community, topped off with an extravagant firework showcase at 9 p.m. 

For tickets and updates on the Bombers 2021 season, fans are encouraged to call (979) 779-PLAY or visit www.bvbombers.com. To follow all upcoming news and developments for the Brazos Valley Bombers, follow the team on facebook.com/bvbombers, Twitter: @BV_Bombers and Instagram: @bvbombers.