The Brazos Valley Bombers wrapped up their two-game set with the visiting Victoria Generals Tuesday night by dropping the series finale 8-3. Fans enjoyed a beach ball giveaway before the game, and spent a majority of the evening sending the toys throughout the grandstands.

Bombers’ starting pitcher Michael Hilliard ran into a red-hot Generals lineup to begin the game, but managed to mitigate the damage by allowing only two runs despite loading the bases in each of the first two innings. Josh Dean came on in relief and encountered the same locked-in Victoria line-up that has been seeing and hitting the ball really well as of late. Logan Burch and Garrett Shepperd combined to throw three and one-third scoreless innings to close the game, but it was too little too late as the Generals battered the Bombers’ pitching staff to the tune of 8 runs on the day.

Texas A&M first baseman Jacob House started the scoring for the Bombers in the third with a two-out RBI double that fell just shy of the outfield wall in right center field. That wasn’t all for the Aggie, who finished a busy game going three for four at the plate with two RBIs, a walk and a two stolen bases. House also flashed the leather by making a spectacular diving grab on defense, as he sprawled across the foul line to snag a slicing line drive off the bat of Generals’ shortstop Chad Kruse. Other notable offensive performances included Bombers’ shortstop Scott Arthur who went one for three with an RBI and Trey Porras who scored two runs.

The latest word from the press box at Brazos Valley Bank Ballpark has beloved announcer Damon Slaydon going on strike. The East Texas Pump Jacks sent a mysterious man in a tuxedo to hand-deliver a gallon of Chicken Express Sweet Tea to Slaydon after the game, who promptly informed owner Uri Geva of his decision. If Geva was fazed by the news, he hid it well, remarking that, “announcing isn’t exactly a hard job. We’ll get KaBoom to do it. He’s got a more marketable face anyway.” Time will tell if these differences are temporary, or if this really is the last time fans will hear Slaydon’s voice over the loudspeakers at the ballpark.

The team will now hit the road for a week, starting with a series against the East Texas Pump Jacks. They will then travel to Victoria for a four game set with the Generals before coming back to Brazos Valley. Playoff implications will be a part of every remaining contest, especially when the Bombers return home Wednesday August 3rd to welcome the Alexandria Aces. Come out that night for Brazos Valley Bank Ballpark’s latest Angry Birds Wednesday, where the first 100 fans through the gate will receive the fifth of six Angry Birds bobbleheads to be given away on the season.