Bombers Late Rally Not Enough to Win Championship Game

The Bloomfield Bombers played the Wayne Warriors for the Sunday League championship on Father’s Day, June 15.  The Bombers’ late rally was not enough to overcome a 6-0 deficit after five innings. They never gave up, losing 8-7.

Manny Corporan started the game on the mound and the Warriors came out hitting.  After three hits, three errors and eight batters, the Bombers were down, 3-0. 

Dylan Piacenza led off the first inning with a base hit to left field for the Bombers.  Eddie Abplanalp and Craig Dietrich connected to deep center field but good defense robbed them both of hits.  Corporan followed with a base hit, but Piacenza was called out at the plate, ending the inning.

The second inning saw strong pitching by both teams. The score remained 3-0, Wayne.

In the top of the third, Wayne continued its strong hitting, getting a single, double and a triple, and with the help of a hit batter, scored three more runs to make it 6-0.

Bloomfield started the bottom of the third with consecutive base hits by Kyle DiMatteo and Jordan DiFabritis.  The rally was short-lived and the score remained 6-0. 

Corporan retired three straight batters in the top of the fourth. The Bombers threatened again in the bottom of the fourth when Abplanalp and Dittrich led off with base hits.  But again, the bats stalled and the runners were stranded on base. The score remained 6-0. 

Abplanalp came on in relief in the sixth inning. Wayne scored another run to lead 7-0.  But the Bombers did not give up. 

In the bottom of the sixth, the Bombers saw some life.  Liam Bejasa bunted safely to first.  Mark Richards advanced the runner with a sacrifice bunt.  Piacenza was hit by a pitch.  Abplanalp followed with a base hit to load the bases.

Dittrich got an RBI hit, followed by Corporan with a long single to drive in two more runs.  Another run scored on a wild pitch.  Sean Demo walked and runners were on first and second.  With two outs, Rob Reboa and Elliott Urgent got base hits driving in a run each.  The inning ended with the score, Wayne 7, Bombers 6.

Wayne was able to score an insurance run in the top of the seventh which proved to be the winning run.

Bejasa led off with a walk for the Bombers and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  With two outs, Abplanalp got an RBI single so Bloomfield was trailing, 8-7.  The streak ended there as Wayne retired the side, winning a close 8-7 game.