Bombers Secure Third Win After Two-Game Skid

It happened again. After dropping two straight to Laser Show by scores of 13-8 and 7-5, the Blacksburg Bombers (3-3) rebounded to take their third win of the season in a 14-5 drubbing of Blacksburg Christian Fellowship (BCF) on Tuesday evening. The Bombers racked up 18 hits in the victory.

"I think a lot of our guys were much more patient than they have been in certain spots," said third baseman David Cunningham. "We drew four walks as a team... Our MVPs were at the bottom of the order, at least to start. We got sparked by the bottom of the lineup, and then it was a little bit of everybody doing their part."

That collective effort turned into an 18-hit outburst, with nearly every Bomber reaching base at least once. But simply looking at the final box score wouldn't tell you that the Bombers went into the top half of the third down 4-0. However, they rallied back to not just tie the game, but erupt for a 14-1 stretch the rest of the way.

First baseman Braden Schenck worked a leadoff walk in his second game as a member of the Bombers, then right fielder Sarah Luttenberger notched a single to put two aboard. Right center fielder Nick Brown scored Schenck a batter later, and three runs followed to knot the game at four after a trio of frames. In the final three innings, the Bombers put up at least three runs in each frame, steadily pulling away and sealing the victory.

"Everybody was in really good spirits," Cunningham said. "Obviously, we lost (Game 2 to Laser Show, the day before). It was a close one. We played well. We outhit that team 14 to 11 and only lost by two runs.

"And I think people were in really good spirits about the whole thing and we played a team game... I thought everybody did a good job of just picking their spots and finding little opportunities and doing it their own way."

Second baseman Evan Hughes went 3-for-4 and had a day described by Cunningham as one that "gave us a lift and kind of closed the door."

The MVP on the day, however, was Sarah Luttenberger, who singled in back-to-back-to-back innings. Luttenberger tallied both the Bombers' second run and the one that tied the game at four. Beyond Luttenberger and the team's play at the plate, the defense was commendable.

"We've been playing much better defense lately," Cunningham said. "I think we did a really, really good job across the board. I think our chemistry has come a really long way."

This team is a friendly team, one constructed by the jobs they do: the times spent near the diamond fields of Tech Softball Park or English Field, the rush of seeing a basketball game in Cassell Coliseum or the delirious atmosphere of "Enter Sandman" inside Lane Stadium. Many of the team's members have been there, working in those environments — often together. Some work on the broadcast side, like Hughes, second baseman Giovanni Heater and left fielder Carter Hill; the latter two were absent on Tuesday.

Others are on the writing end, such as Cunningham, who works as Tech Sideline's managing editor. Yet the connections among the team extend well beyond the playing field. It's those friendships that bring them together on the diamond.

"At the end of the day, this is rec softball in Blacksburg, where it's a college town," Cunningham said. "A lot of people that play are friends who are in school, and then out of school, and then doing a bunch of stuff. And so, part of the summer, it's throwing together whatever team you can and trying to find the best people to play... We haven't always been this successful, and I think people have worked really, really hard at making this a fun team to be around, no matter the result."

That shared history creates an unspoken bond, a foundation of trust and respect that translates into their play. It’s this unity, as much as their batting averages or defensive plays, that's made the Bombers fun to watch this summer.

It might be fitting, not ironic, that the Bombers topped a group rooted in fellowship, because theirs is forged just the same: long hours, shared shifts and summer evenings spent laughing on dusty diamonds.

The Bombers' next game will take place on Monday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.; the team will face BGCC-LDS, a team representing both Jewish and Latter-day Saint backgrounds, according to Cunningham. Among its past members is former Virginia Tech offensive lineman Bob Schick, who transferred to Oklahoma State this offseason. A win on Monday would push the Bombers above .500 and, perhaps more importantly, keep the summer fun rolling.