Bloomfield Bombers 13-Under Baseball Team Wins 1 and Drops 2 in Weekend Tournament Action

The Bloomfield Bombers were in Flemington, NJ for the 13-Under Diamond Nation Battle of The Turf Tournament last weekend when they won their first game but lost their next two.

On Saturday, May 3, the Bombers of Manager Dan McDowall won their first game of the tournament, 5-4, over the NJ Nationals. Manny Corporan pitched a complete game with 7 strikeouts to start the Bombers on the right track.

In the first inning, Dylan Piacenza scored the first run of the game on a wild pickoff attempt.  Corporan followed with a RBI single bringing home Eddie Abplanalp who also had singled.  The Bombers got a third run in the first when Mark Richards scored on a bases loaded walk.

Abplanalp scored in the third inning after a balk was called on the NJ Nationals pitcher.

The Bombers did it with their bats and gloves. In the fifth inning, Sean Demo made a spectacular diving catch in the outfield on a line drive that looked like it might fall in for a hit.

The Bombers added a run in the seventh inning after Brandon Kelly was hit by a pitch, Abplanalp singled and Craig Dittrich hit a drive to right that went off the outfielder’s glove scoring Kelly from second.

The Nationals rally fell short in the bottom of the seventh when Dittrich dove and tagged the batter who stuck out on a pitch in the dirt for a game-saving out as the tying run was stranded on second base.

In the second game of the tournament, the Bombers got off to a rough start as the Jaxx Baseball team came out swinging.

The Bombers fell behind early, giving up five hits in the first inning and dug a hole they never escaped after surrendering four quick runs. The Bombers’ only run of the game came in the third inning after Brandon Kelly singled to left centerfield, Piacenza was hit by a pitch and Ed Abplanalp singled Kelly home.

Abplanalp started the game on the mound as Piacenza and Kyle DiMatteo worked in relief, but the Jaxx Baseball bats were too much and the Bombers eventually lost the game, 10-1.

The Bombers were back in action Sunday against the West Morris Baseball Academy.  The Bombers started the game by allowing three runs in the top of the first inning on a combination of errors and hits.

The Bombers fought back in the bottom of the first with singles by Corporan, Demo and Kyle Tice to cut the lead to 3-2.

In the bottom of the second, the Bombers took the lead as Robert Reboa and Richards singled.  Kelly laid down a great bunt between the pitcher and a charging third baseman to load the bases.  J.J. Mendoza popped up a ball behind second base. The ball fell between the second baseman and shortstop, allowing DiMatteo, who was pinch running for Reboa, and Richards to both score for a 4-3 lead.

In the third inning, the Bombers surrendered two runs to fall behind once again.  But in the bottom of the third, Dittrich led off with a single. He stole a base and scored on a single by Corporan to tie the game, 5-5.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Bombers again fell behind as West Morris strung together three singles and two doubles to take a 9-5 lead.  The Bombers scored one more time when Kelly hit into a fielder’s choice to score DiMatteo and cut into the lead, 9-6.

The Bombers gave up two more runs and eventually lost, 11-6, and finished 1-2 in the Diamond Nation Tournament.