2022 CWL Championship: Palm Springs Power @ British Columbia Bombers
First Pitch: Tuesday, February 15, 12:00 pm
It all comes down to this: fifty games of baseball with homers, strikeouts and double plays galore all leading up to Tuesday’s championship. Five walkoffs, seven shutouts and so much in between has made the twelfth season of the California Winter League special for the players, staff and a lot of fun for anyone who tuned in live or on YouTube. But game number 51 is sure to be the best of the best, as it pits the top two teams in the league against each other, going head-to-head for the seventh time this season. The matchup has been rather one-sided though, with the Bombers winning six of those seven games. The Power have not lost to any other team this season.
The Power lost to the Bombers 8-5 in the last game they played, the Commissioner’s Cup on Saturday February 12th. In a game highlighted by pitchers hitting (and some even playing the field), the Bombers scored eight runs over the first four innings. The Power staged a comeback in the sixth, scoring four runs on a pair of sacrifice flies a single and a double. Ultimately it wasn’t enough though as Kevin Kirley earned his second save with a 1-2-3 seventh. In the semifinal round, however, the Power stormed back against the Palm Springs Chill, hanging twelve runs on their fellow Palm Springs foe, with ten coming in the final three innings.
The Bombers rode a dominant start from Luke Drummond, who didn’t allow a baserunner after the second batter of the second inning. He eclipsed double-digit strikeouts in a complete game for the second time in three games, helping the Bombers earn a shutout in both. At the plate, the Bombers scored three runs in the first inning and added four more in the third, with Bradley O’Neal and Andrew Caulfield each chipping in two RBIs. The Bombers are also one of the most balanced teams in the California Winter League this season, leading the way in team hitting and fielding. Both the playoff’s top seeds have a balanced lineup and combine that with great starting pitching, which should lead to another hard-fought game between the two sides. First pitch is on Tuesday, February 15th at noon and will be streaming live on YouTube. Gates open at 11 am for the first and only nine-inning game of the season.
