Bombers Notch Second-Ever Win Behind True Team Effort

It may have been a slowpitch softball game on a quiet Monday afternoon, but the atmosphere at Jaycee Softball Field buzzed with the kind of electricity usually reserved for bigger stages. Backed by friends and family, the Blacksburg Bombers opened their BRL season on the field with a 12-8 win over the Crows Nest Crush, notching their second victory in program history.

The Bombers entered the afternoon with a 1-22 all-time record in the league, according to right center fielder Nick Brown. They left the field with more than a win, but also with proof that chemistry and a few timely swings can turn the tide of any game.

"It's a great day for the team, especially to open the season with a win," said first baseman Evan Hughes. "Just so happy for (pitcher Jeff Brown) and Nick Brown, who have been members of this team for many, many years and have done a great job at building the roster around not just talented but really good people that love playing for one another. You know, especially not playing... We haven't played a game or practiced in over a year. So, (it's) exciting to go out there and play the way that we did."

Despite the long layoff, the Bombers hardly looked rusty. Energy was high from the first pitch, the dugout was booming and the on-field communication was crisp. There was no sense of doubt, no sign of the record that had defined them. The team started out quickly, notching two runs off a well-hit ball by second baseman Giovanni Heater. Half an hour before the game, Heater had quietly adjusted his swing to aim for more contact and power. The tweak paid off immediately.

By the end of the third, the Bombers had gone up 5-0. Left fielder Carter Hill roped a triple to left-center, scoring Nick Brown and utility player Jack Brizendine. Two batters later, left center fielder Kyle Marchak scored off a RBI single from Heater.

"Listen, there's a reason why (Heater's) in the gym six days a week," Hughes said. "And you know, lifting the way that he does. great power. There's a reason why he's hitting in the heart of the lineup, and he delivered when we needed most. Especially impressive, just everyone again, it's been a while since we've all swung a bat."

In the bottom of the sixth, with the Bombers holding a 10-6 lead, Brizendine reached base again off a perfectly placed bunt single — and Hill made it count. He cracked a deep ball down the left-field line that stayed fair by five feet, scoring Brizendine and giving the Bombers just enough cushion to close things out. 

The Bombers scored 12 runs and led by as many as six, with Heater, Hill and Nick Brown — who hit a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate — pacing the team with three RBI each. On the other side of the dish, shortstop Andy Bitter was also exemplary, nabbing several pop-ups to ensure that the Bombers stayed ahead. Bitter tracked down two straight fly balls in the second to keep the Crush from getting on the board early.

"I thought his range was fantastic," Hughes said. "He had a couple of backpedaling plays into short. He had some great throws to me. I let him down at first base a couple times, but he was fantastic. And whether it was getting the force out at second, I thought he and Gio had great chemistry up the middle defensively. And we don't win that game without the defense that Andy Bitter displayed."

In a game that never got out of reach, those kinds of plays made the difference. Every out mattered and Bitter rarely missed his chance to snag one.

And then there was the surprise performance of the afternoon: Brizendine, who dubbed himself the Bombers’ “extra-extra-extra cleanup hitter" as the 11th man in the order. Stepping in with quiet confidence, Brizendine went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, providing key knocks in moments where the Bombers needed a lift. For a team that values camaraderie over stats, Brizendine’s outing was the cherry on top. After the game concluded, Nick Brown declared Brizendine the unofficial player of the game, a fitting honor on a night when joy mattered more than the box score.

For the Bombers, it isn't just about rec league standings, but about connection. Friends who hadn't touched a bat or played softball together in over a year came out not just to compete, but to have fun and hang out. And in the process, they played their best brand of softball.

From veterans like Jeff and Nick Brown, who’ve kept the team’s spirit alive, to the players from Virginia Tech’s Sports Media and Analytics program, the Bombers are proof that sticking with something — and doing it with people you like — is sometimes enough to flip the script. So, yes, it may have just been a slowpitch softball game. But to the Bombers, it was something more. The Bombers' next game will be on Monday, May 12, at a time to be determined.