Boomers bats break through for 6-3 win

After watching his team lose a 12-1 contest Tuesday and struggle through the first seven innings of Wednesday’s game, Schaumburg Boomers manager Jamie Bennett wondered if his streaky club was about to embark on another losing streak.

“You couldn’t help but that be in the back of your mind a little bit: win three, lose three, win three and lose this first one (to London),” he said.

But the bats woke up in a big eighth inning, as the Boomers scored five runs to claim a 6-3 victory and even their series against the London Rippers. The win lifts the Boomers to 7-4 in the independent Frontier League.

The Boomers’ lethargic at-bats on Tuesday carried into the early innings Wednesday, with London pitcher Sheng-An Kuo allowing two hits through the first seven frames. After a hit batsman and double in the eighth, Kuo was removed from the game, and the Boomers finished the rally against London’s relievers.

“Seeing pitches from that guy early helped,” Bennett said. “We’ve just got to get ourselves in better situations. You know, once things opened up there, guys started to feel good about it.”

Boomers pitcher Robby Donovan, who has been battling a blister throughout the first couple weeks of the season, gave up three runs over seven innings, striking out 10.

Bennett praised Donovan’s poise as he battled through bloop hits.

“A couple balls just barely dropped in,” Bennett said. “Those are tough on a pitcher, and they resulted in runs, but for him to battle through and continue to give us seven innings, outstanding.”

The Boomers and Rippers will finish the three-game series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Schaumburg Baseball Stadium.