Former Consol ace Easterling leads Bombers to win

Source: The Eagle, Bryan, TexasJuly 28--Brannon Easterling is not the typical late-season pickup in the Texas Collegiate League, which loses some of its top players as they head back to school.迷你倉價錢Easterling pitched like an all-star Saturday night -- not a fill-in -- to lead the Brazos Valley Bombers to a 9-1 victory over the East Texas Pump Jacks at American Momentum Bank Ballpark.The Bombers have a double-digit lead in the Texas Collegiate League in part because of five starting pitchers who are a combined 17-3 in 23 starts, but they aren't with the team right now.Easterling filled the void big time against the Pump Jacks (23-25, 8-10 in the second half), striking out eight and walking none in seven innings. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander allowed 10 hits, but that was somewhat misleading since the Bombers (38-11, 12-7) scored eight runs in the second.Easterling was at his best when the Pump Jacks threatened.The former A&M Consolidated standout left two runners in scoring position in the first by striking out Connor Huesers on three pitches.The Pump Jacks had runners in scoring position in the fifth, but Easterling struck out Mitch Meyer and Garrett McMullen who had been a combined 3-for-4 batting."Tonight he was really good," Bombers coach Curt Dixon said. "His secondary [pitches] were really good."Easterling's defense helped him get out of his toughest jam. East Texas loaded the bases in the fourth with no outs, but J.J. Robinson hit into a double play on a 2-0 pitch."As a pitcher, that's huge," Easterling said. "It's nice when guys are making plays behind you. It makes my job easier."The Bombers turned another double play in the sixth for Easterling who led St. Edward's University to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships in 2013.Easterling, who led the nation with 132 and two-third innings, made his TCL season debut last week at East Texas, getting a no-decision against the Pump Jacks who swept the two-game series."It takes a little bit to get back on the mound," Easterling said. "My first outing was no big deal, five and two-third innings, five earned runs, it is what it is. It's baseball."On Saturday, Easterling looked like the All-American who went 14-3 and won the Josh Willingham Award as 迷你倉庫II's best collegiate player.He needed only 91 pitches to last seven innings, hurting the Pump Jacks who trail Acadiana (13-5) and the Woodlands (9-9) in the race to get the league's last two playoff spots."He goes right at guys, he doesn't waste a lot of pitches," said Dixon, who is also the pitching coach. "His 0-2 pitches were quality tonight."Easterling got ahead with his fastball and typically got his strikeouts with a nasty slider.East Texas starting pitcher Aaron Watson had a short night because he got ahead of few batters.Watson walked four and hit a batter in the second inning. The left-hander threw three pitches behind batters in that frame. All the batters who reached via the walks and hit by the pitch scored."That's what good teams do," Dixon said. "We've been on the other end and that's frustrating to a coach. But offensively tonight it was really good. They hit a wall there, and we just capitalized."The Bombers had only three hits in the inning. Graham McIntrye had an RBI single and Mason Randolph followed with a two-run double. Texas A&M signee G.R. Hinsley capped the inning with a three-run homer, hitting the first pitch from reliever J.J. Franklin well over the elevated billboards that are behind the left-field fence."He lives for the big moment," Dixon said of Hinsley who improved his TCL-leading RBI total to 42.--NOTES -- The two teams will play at 7:05 p.m. Sunday with the game broadcast on KZNE (1150 AM). ... Easterling struck out his last two batters, then reliever Eric Polivka and Texas A&M's Jason Freeman combined to strikeout the next five. ... Franklin retired 12 straight until Horacio Correa III walked to open the seventh. Correa scored on Brett Kauten's single.ET 000 100 000 -- 1 10 0BV Bombers 080 000 10x -- 9 6 1Aaron Watson, J.R. Franklin (2), Jacob Kelzer and Nate Esposito (8). Brannon Easterling, Eric Polivka (8), Jason Freeman (9) and Mason Randoph. W -- Easterling, 1-0. L -- Watson, 1-2.HR -- G.R. Hinsley, BV (4th). Leading hitters: (ET) Garrett McMullen 2-4; Connor Huesers 2-4. (BV) Hinsley 1-4, 3 RBIs; Randolph, 1-4, 2 RBIs.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) Visit The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) at www.theeagle.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存