Gem City Bombers 13u enjoying first Slumpbuster experience with win, lots of baseball

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA — The Gem City Bombers can’t get enough baseball this week. The 13u squad is here to compete in the Triple Crown Sports Omaha Slumpbuster, but like most of the teams that flock to the greater Omaha area for the action, the Bombers want to see and play as much baseball as the schedule allows.

The Quincy, Illinois-based team registered a 9-7 victory over USA Prime Austin (Morgan) in its Slumpbuster opener Thursday morning at the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. Shortly after the win, Bombers head coach Rick Lawson said his team was preparing to attend the Thursday night Omaha Storm Chasers’ minor league game at Werner Park, just under 20 miles from Council Bluffs.

After enjoying some AAA action, the Bombers will return to Slumpbuster action Friday and Saturday before checking out the buzz of the College World Series on Saturday afternoon and evening in downtown Omaha.

And the first-time Slumpbuster participants wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We haven’t been here before,” Lawson said. “We thought it’d be a great experience for the boys to get a chance to play teams from across the country and watch a College World Series game. You can’t beat it. That’s why we’re here.”

Thus far, it’s been a positive experience for Bombers player Remington Miller.

“It’s been really fun,” said Miller, who had two hits including a towering home run to center to start the scoring in the top of the first inning. “We had a really good time playing today with my teammates and we think it’s going to be a great experience overall.”

Lawson liked what he saw from his squad in their lone Thursday game, which started with the Bombers taking a 7-2 lead through two innings. But USA Prime closed the gap with three runs in the third and two in the fourth for an 8-7 Bombers advantage. The Bombers added a single tally in the fifth and Miller pitched the final inning to help hold USA Prime scoreless in the fifth to close out the two-run victory.

Miller and Lane Pollard both finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, Wyatt Saalborn allowed two earned runs across three innings and Colton Baker didn’t allow an earned run in an inning of relief.

“We had big at-bats, we pitched well enough and our defense made the plays when we needed them to,” Lawson said. “Remington put a good swing on his homer, Ty (Lawson) one-hopped the fence so we had some good at-bats but we could’ve opened that up a little more. Overall, we won the first one and that’s what matters.”

They’ll play in a pool play doubleheader Friday morning against the Sliders (0-1) and Club All Star Blue, which is off to a 2-0 start with just one run allowed.