bvbombers.com

After an emotional Opening Weekend that included a record-setting opener and a pair of losses, the Brazos Valley Bombers were obviously happy to get on the road and relax. The Wichita Falls Roughnecks might not be so excited about the result.

The Bombers road into Wichita Falls Monday evening and erupted to take a 13-0 lead after five innings, then coasted to a 13-5 victory and snap a two-game losing streak. The 13 runs were the same amount as Brazos Valley had scored in the first four games combined.

The team also benefited from a sparkling outing by newcomer Cody Curry, who was perfect into the fifth and was lifted after 5.2 hitless innings.

Brazos Valley came out swinging in the first and the Roughnecks never knew what hit them. The Bombers sent eleven batters to the plate in the first inning and scored seven runs. Before Wichita Falls even got a chance to bat, every hitter in the Bombers lineup had either reached base or driven in a run.

The Bombers added two more runs in the second to finally chase starter Brett Holland, who was charged with 9 earned runs in 1.1 innings pitched. Holland had entered the game with a 1.80 ERA that ballooned to 14.21 afterwards.

The Bombers scored twice more in the third then two in the fifth, all while Curry was silencing the Roughnecks bats. Curry, just signed over the weekend out of McMurry University to bolster a pitched staff still thin because of the NCAA playoffs, was perfect until Ryan Reidel reached base on an error with two outs in the fifth inning. He escaped unscathed and retired the first two batters in the sixth before he was lifted for Casey Whitmer.

The Bombers 16-hit attack was led by third baseman Joseph Towns, who struck for a home run, a double, and two singles in his first four at-bats. Towns finished the game 4-for-6 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI. Towns raised his average on the young season to .500, with 5 runs scored and 5 RBI.

Keith Stein, playing his first game for the Bombers after a breakout season at Sam Houston State University, went 2-for-4, stole a base, and scored three times. A team player from the beginning, the former star at A&M Consolidated High School gave the Bombers bullpen a rest by taking the mound for the eighth inning. Shortstop Ryan Weber took care of the ninth frame after going 2-for-5 with a run scored and 3 RBI at the plate.

Mark McGonigle, Will Basom, and Chris Wallace also had two hits each. Kyle Sisney posted a hit and stole his fourth base of the season, tied for tops in the league.

The Bombers close out their short road trip on Tuesday when they visit the Denton Outlaws. The team returns to the Brazos Valley on Thursday, June 14, for the first of four Thirsty Thursday promotions presented by Jack FM. Fans can enjoy fifty-cent 16-ounce soft drinks and one dollar 12-ounce draft beers as they watch the Bombers take on the Mineral Wells Steam. The Steam will be back again on Friday, June 15, for Fireworks Friday; after the game, fans will enjoy a spectacular fireworks show, courtesy of College Station Medical Center.