Bombers Leash up the Bulldogs - By Nya Runkle
In the second game of the April 26th doubleheader, the Richland Bombers wasted no time in delivering a dominant performance against the Chiawana Riverhawks, securing a 14-1 win in just five innings. It was a great day for baseball, with high energy and a good crowd to cheer on their home teams. Heading into this matchup, I got a chance to speak with head coach Grant Richardson about the team's ongoing development throughout the season, and what improvements he would like to see executed in this game. “We’ve been swinging the bats pretty well, our double header against Southridge was one of the better offensive games I’ve had a team put together in several years, but consistency isn’t quite there yet. It’s difficult to maintain consistency in high-intensity games, but we just try to bring the fire every day and play good bomber baseball.” The team definitely answered to this call, bringing the energy, focus, and relentless offense necessary to take home a victory.
 |
| Photo: @reardonproductions |
The game began with Parker Smoot throwing the first pitch, and the game was off. An early error allowed Khail Cooper to reach second base, and a groundout advanced him to third. Smoot responded to this by striking out both Lee and Cooper, ending the top of the first without allowing a run. Richland got to work in the bottom half with a fly out from Dylan Parrot and a line drive to first from Carter Upmeyer, stealing both second and third base. Hayden Galoway grounded out, but Upmeyer's baserunning allowed Michael Revell’s groundout RBI, wrapping up the first inning with a 1-0 lead for the Bombers.
The second inning brought action from both teams. Austin Reardon singled and advanced to second base, and Shock followed with another single before stealing third base. Drayson Elfering lined a single. Richland's defense stepped up with Smoot's key strikeout, forcing a flyout. The bottom half started out with a single from Castro, followed by singles from Braylon Edwards and Tyler Huck, loading all bases with no outs. Parrot lined a single to score Castro, and Galloway came up with a hard hit, scoring Parrot and Upmeyer. Revell added a double, pushing Galloway to third and Jake Brannon lined a single, nearly scoring another run but resulting in Revell out in an attempt to go home. Richland built up a 6-0 lead, although the 2nd inning came to an unfortunate end after Galloway suffered a knee injury, leaving the game.
 |
| Photo: @reardonproductions |
Top of the third, defensive adjustments were made to cover for Galloway, including Clarke stepping in as catcher for the first time. Despite Tayten Cissne’s single, the Bombers' defense remained strong. Jaren Lee managed a walk, and Thompson stepped in to pitch. After the game, Bennet Clarke shared his experience of unexpectedly taking over behind the plate. “It was a great experience to say the least, vibes were high throughout the whole night, and we got a lot of hits throughout the game. I was just super proud of how the guys played, and it was a really fun experience to have with the seniors.” Richland continued with aggressive offense in the bottom half. Castro led with a double, but Chiawana managed a strikeout; the score remained 6-0 going into the fourth inning.
The Bombers excelled in the 4th. Parrot led with a walk, stealing second, and Upmeyer followed with a ground double, scoring Parrot. Clarke laid down a bunt, moving Upmeyer to third, and Revell walked to load the bases. Brannon delivered once again with a hard hit, plating both Clarke and Upmeyer. Castro was hit and walked to reload the bases. Dominic Harper got another run, and Lee walked. Watkins roped a ground double, scoring Harper. Cooper gets a ground single, Lee runs, and Shock walks, reloading the bases. Clarke also picked up an RBI walk, forcing another run. The 4th inning wraps up with a score of 14-0.
.png)
Closing it out in the 5th inning, Talon Purser took over the mound. Dominic Harper gets a hard hit double, and although Edwards and Upmeyer both strike out, Harper runs on a catcher's error during Clarke's at-bat. Clarke responded with a line single, and both Harris and Reardon walked. Elfering's hard hit to the outfield was miraculously caught just in front of the fence. The game was concluded after just five innings with a final score of 14-1.
Richland really made a statement in this matchup, and the Bomber offense will continue to work hard and improve as the season progresses. With a young team full of potential, games like this will help them build confidence behind the plate and develop their strengths. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are also a young team with much to improve, but they hopefully served as a valuable challenge for the Bombers and a boost they needed to gain momentum. With growing confidence and another win for Richland, they can now set their minds on taking down the #1 team in the state, Kamiakin Braves, on Tuesday.
