Playing in their first game of the John Hayes Invitational Tournament against Rock Island Legion Post 200, the Owensboro Post 9 Bombers didn’t get off to the start they wanted, losing 6-5 on a walk-off. Talan Cartwright gave Owensboro an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first after groudning into a fielders choice.
The Bombers added onto their lead in the third, scoring three runs on a Grayson Smith sacrifice fly and a Colton Carver two-run single. Rock Island responded in the bottom of the inning with four runs, but Owensboro retook the lead an inning later courtesy of a Parker Heistand RBI double. In the bottom of the sixth, a few defensive lapses led to Rock Island walking it off.
Cayden Ray started on the mound, allowing two earned runs over five innings, striking out four, while Will Rickard pitched in relief. Offensively, Carver finished 2-4 with two RBIs, while Easton Blandford went 3-3.
The Bombers are back in action today with two more games and will need to work on their run differential if they want to advance.
“We need to clean up some of our mistakes, but we will get really good pitching tomorrow,” Owensboro Bombers head coach Matt Freeman said. “I am pretty sure our offense will be back the way it was today, and we will hopefully pull out a couple of wins.”
