BV Bombers lose TCL regular season home final

The Bombers scored twice in the sixth inning for a 5-4 lead in their final regular season home game in the Texas Collegiate League. Schmidt’s first home run of the season tied the game. The next two batters reached the ball via a hit batsman and walk. After an out, Mario Mendoza, Anthony Avalos and Cameron Nickens all had run-producing singles to give the Generals an 8-5 lead. The final runs were scored on a sacrifice fly and passed ball, giving Victoria the two-game series win. The two teams close out the regular season with games on Saturday and Sunday at Victoria’s Riverside Stadium.

All games in the final week of the regular season for both the Generals and Bombers were essentially for honors, as the Texas Division playoff spots had already been decided with the Generals winning the first half and the Bombers clinching the division’s second-half playoff spot against the Seguin River Monsters last week. That left the final four games between the Generals and Bombers with no bearing on next week’s TCL best-of-3 playoff series with Game 1 at Edible Field on Tuesday and Game 2 the following day at Riverside Stadium. Game 3, if necessary, would be at Riverside Stadium on Thursday.

The Generals (33-12, 17-5) added the second-half title to their first-half crown with Friday’s win. The Generals have won five straight, while the Bombers are coming off two straight losses after winning 10 of 12.

The Generals had 10 hits, four of which were for extra bases. Schmidt and Diego Diaz each had two hits. The Bombers had seven hits with two each from Brock DeYoung, Jaxon Daigre and Tristan Russell. DeYoung, who batted leadoff, also had two walks and scored three runs. Russell drove in two runs.

The Bombers had three errors, giving them eight in the two-game series. The Bombers had 10 hits, all singles. Trenton Barnes (1-2), the Bombers’ second pitcher, suffered Friday’s loss. He threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and four earned runs. He struck out one and walked two.

Julio Garcia (2-0), the last of Vitoria’s three pitchers, was the winner with two hitless innings, one hit and one strikeout.

The Bombers tied the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning when DeYoung walked three wild pitches and moved. Grant Watkins’ sacrifice fly gave the Bombers the lead.

The Bombers got 10 hits, six of which came in the four innings the Bombers scored.

The Acadiana Cane Cutters (23-23, 13-9 second half) clinched a second-half Louisiana Division playoff spot with an 11-9 win over the River Monsters on Friday night. The Cane Cutters won 9 of 10 to hold off Baton Rouge (21-21, 9-11). The Cutters host the opening game of the best-of-3 series on Tuesday against first-half champion Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators (20-25), who will play at home for Game 2. Game 3, if necessary, would be in Lake Charles.