Bombers' rally foils Fulton

SIKESTON - The Bootheel Bombers recorded their sixth win of the season by defeating the Fulton (Ky.) Railroaders 10-7 at VFW Stadium on Tuesday.

Down 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth, the Bombers scored three key runs with two outs on hits by outfielders Ingel Silva and Brent Telano that eventually won the game.

"When we needed to score, we did," said Bombers head coach Matt Marshall. "We battled and did a good job to get the win."

Fulton overcame a 6-3 deficit by knocking in four in the fifth, including a two-run inside-the-park home run by right fielder Casey Estill.

But the big inning just wasn't enough for the Railroaders in the end.

"We do this every game," said Fulton skipper Andy Mennes. "We just always have a couple of bad innings and then get the loss."

After the Railroaders got two runs off Bombers starting pitcher Adam Riley in the top of the first, the Bombers were quick to respond. An RBI single by catcher Scott DeLoach scored Jared Elmore and then two wild pitches by Fulton starter Miguel Garcia brought in Jaimie Puckett, who had walked, and DeLoach which put the Bombers up 3-2 after one.

The Bombers increased their lead by three in the bottom of the second. Lyon College's Sean Coker scored the red-hot Elmore, who had his second straight 4-for-4 night, from third on a single, which was followed by a scorching double by Silva that plated two.

"It was huge to come out and set the pace like we did," said Marshall. "We knew we had to get up early."

Garcia was immediately taken out after allowing six runs in just one and one-

third innings. His relief, pitcher Gabe Cabrera, fared much better, shutting out the Bombers with no hits and six strikeouts in his first three innings of work.

After Fulton tacked on one on Riley's balk in the third, the team pulled ahead in the fifth on another balk, an RBI double by third baseman Jason Kelly, and the inside-the-park home run by Estill.

The lead quickly evaporated, however, as the Bombers finally figured out Cabrera, the eventual losing pitcher, in the bottom of the sixth. Elmore reached base with a one-out hit and was sent to third on Puckett's infield single when the shortstop threw past the first baseman. After a walk to Coker and a strikeout, Silva became the hero when his single brought in the tying and eventual game-winning runs. Another base knock in the frame by Telano made it 9-7.

"Cabrera pitched outstanding," Mennes said. "He just got tired. He's our go-

to guy and we may have overused him."

The lead was held for the last three innings by Bombers pitcher Dan Robbins, who retired all nine batters he faced, striking out two.

The Bombers added one more insurance run in the eighth when Coker, who reached on a triple, scored on Telano's own three-bagger.

The win went to Bombers' pitcher Reif Tucker from Portageville, who pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Robbins, with three scoreless frames, earned the save.