The Morning Blend
Welcome
Complete Media Kit
By Matt Hickman
Herald/Review
BISBEE — The Bisbee Copper Kings made their final doubleheader of the summer at Warren Ballpark a successful one Sunday, sweeping Garden of Gears.
Bisbee won the first game 8-7 and after blowing a six-run lead in the second, rallied to win 13-9 and head to next weekend’s all important Pacific Southwest Baseball League Tournament on a high note.
 Vera Davis-Herald/Review Sterling Schuller receives a congratulatory fist bump from Copper Kings catcher Carlos Martinez for Schullers’ catch of a fly ball in the fourth inning of the first game at Warren Ball Park against the Mesa Garden of Gears Baseball Club. |
The opener, slated for seven innings, was tied at 7-7 in the seventh. Justin Wright led off with a walk, was advanced into scoring position on a single by Richard Hummel and Sterling Schuller hit a walk-off single.
Former Buena High player Cody Bair picked up the win in relief.
In the second game, Jason Kimzey was staked to an early 8-2 lead in the second inning after the Kings offense gave him an 8-run second. But Garden of Gears chipped away at the lead and actually took a 9-8 advantage in the seventh.
But the Kings plated five in the eighth to take control, thanks to a double by Wright and back-to-back two-run doubles by Bret Shepard and Carlos Martinez.
Calen Pennington got the win in relief.
On Friday, the Kings will begin play in the tournament, which will qualify two teams for the NBC national tournament in Kansas, facing the Garden of Gears again at 4 p.m. at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
The Kings finished the regular season a half-game behind the Casa Grande Cotton Kings, giving the Cotton Kings the regular season bid for the national tournament. The Lake Havasu Heat, last year’s NBC national championships, have an automatic berth in the national tournament, so if the Copper Kings are able to win this weekend’s double-elimination tournament, or if the Cotton Kings win it, they too will be headed for Kansas.
“The last three ball games we’ve played as well as we have all season,” Copper Kings manager Butch Hammett said. “Hopefully our timing is right.”
kings coach wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:38 AM: