Veteran Marty Grant Tosses a Gem for Bombers
After suffering a humbling 13-2 loss in their third game of the tournament to Patsy’s of New York, the A-1 Casa Trejo So Cal Bombers defeated Townline, of Wisconsin, 1-0, with veteran Marty Grant tossing a 1 hitter, and striking out 12 enroute to the win. Townline was coming off a win against in state rival, Circle Tap, which was played on the upper diamond, just before heading down to the main, lower diamond at Sunset Park. Grant threw a perfect game in the Bomber’s opener, then three more scoreless innings against Midland, Michigan, running his scoreless string to 16 innings in the tournament. Grant, a New Zealand native now into his forties, pitched Thursday night on the same diamond that he threw at in 1989 as a young rookie pitcher in his twenties for the local All Car Wisconsin team. Grant starred for many years as a member of the ISF World Champion New Zealand Black Sox, but was coaxed out of retirement by the the Trejos, who head up the So Cal Bomber team. On Thursday night, Grant flashed that familiar, dominant form, striking out 12 while relying heavily on his rise ball, but mixing the change and drop, to stymie the Townline hitters.
Click here for the box score and play-by-play.
The game’s only run was scored by the Bombers in the 5th, when Darryl Sandback doubled, and came home on a ground-out by Steve Pinnochio.
A-1 Bombers 5th – Sandback D doubled. Sandback D advanced to third on a wild pitch. Waverick K struck out. Butler M hit by pitch. Pinocchio S grounded out to ss, RBI; Butler M advanced to second; Sandback D scored. Lalonde A lined out to ss. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
The Bombers return to play against the Broken Bow Gremlins, this morning (Friday) against the Broken Bow Gremlins of Nebraska. The Gremlins stumbled in their second game, falling to Ontario Canada’s Jarvis, while the Bombers won their first two, before being knocked into the loser’s bracket. The teams square off Friday morning at 11am Central time, in one of the tournament’s marquee matchups, pitting last year’s second and third place teams.