Two Broken Bats and a Tough Loss on the Road

Cassidy Thornburg | June 18, 2019

Palm Springs, CA- Two broken bats in the first two innings represent the way things got started at Palm Springs Stadium for the Force in their standalone night game with the Power. Due to early struggles on the mound and some dry spots at the plate, the Palm Springs Power got the lead early over the Force and ran away with it all the way to a 10-4 finish. 

The Palm Springs Power scored three runs right off the bat in the first and then two more soon to follow in the third. They added another in the sixth to make the score 6-0 while the Force were only able to come up with two hits. It wasn’t until the top of the seventh that Cole Mueller (UCSB) got the ball rolling for the Force’s offense. Mueller got on base after being hit by a pitch and was soon brought home by a double-RBI by Andrai Wright (Savannah State). Wright wasn’t on base long. Following his at bat, Will Stroud (Azusa Pacific) hit a solid single to move Wright along the bases and into scoring position. Wright was then swiftly brought home by the bat of Byron Smith (Masters U) who hit an RBI-single.

In the top of the eighth, it was the Force’s lead-off hitter DJ Lewis (U of Cumberlands) who hit a double to get on base. Sam Neufeld (Vanguard) knocked him in with a double of his own to take the Force’s total runs up to four. Unfortunately, the Force's offense wasn't enough to close in on the Palm Springs Power's runs on them, and in the final innings, the Power lengthened their lead by adding another four.

It was a tough road loss for the Force who made the trek all the way out to Palm Springs from a much cooler San Diego. Fortunately, it is not the end of the road for the Force. Their game Thursday may just be their opportunity to turn things around when they take on the Long Beach Legends in a non-league matchup at 7 p.m. at Brookhurst Park in Anaheim.