Bombers leading Texarkana in 8th inning

It should be no mystery why Brazos Valley has the best overall record this summer in the Texas Collegiate League.

The defending champion Bombers won the first half of the season and are charging hard in the second round toward the postseason.

Starting five major college players in its lineup, Brazos Valley started Texas A&M freshman Landon Miner on the mound and Arkansas freshman Ben Bailey behind the plate Tuesday at George Dobson Field. The Bombers led 5-2 in the eighth inning at deadline. See Thursday’s edition for final results.

It was a game of missed opportunities by both teams early.

The Twins stranded seven in the first four frames, leaving runners on third on three of those occasions.

Brazos Valley scored the first four runs, three in the second on hits by Thomas Jeffries, Bailey, Dalton Stark

and Jared Mang, the league’s leading hitter with a .372 average.

Kyle O’keefe doubled to start the third and scored on a single by Jeffries.

Texarkana scored in its half of the third after a two-out double by Alex Rodriguez. He eventually scored on Kyle Bottger’s second infield hit.

O’keefe tripled and scored in the fifth on Jermayne Ward’s single to center. It was the Bombers’ eleventh hit of the game.

Both starting pitchers (Miner and Shane McCarley) had 98 pitches in the first five innings. McCarley was replaced by Billy Fogle in the sixth. Michigan State’s 6-7 Mike Mokma took over for the Bombers in the sixth.

Mang, a sophomore at the University of New Mexico, raised his batting average with a double and two singles in his first four at-bats.

The Twins greeted Mokma roughly, scoring a single run in his first frame on singles by Cole Coffey and Gunner Halter.

Meanwhile, Fogle was the first one to retire a team in order in the seventh with two infield popups and a fly to center.

Texarkana’s playoff hopes would have suffered a blow if it lost Tuesday’s game. The two teams play again tonight at 7:30 p.m.