BISBEE — There’s nothing Bisbee Copper Kings manager Bill Moore hates more than excessively long baseball games.
It’s why he instructs his pitchers to go after hitters early in counts, and why he’s absolutely thrilled with this progress his pitchers showed to that end in three games this weekend. After routing a team of Sierra Vista All-Stars 19-0 on Friday, the Kings took on the Tucson Longhorns for a pair.
Jared Bowser took the ball in the opener and pitched all seven innings in a 2-0 shutout win for the Kings in a game that took just 1:45 to play. Bowser allowed just one hit, struck out 11 and at one point, retired 18 consecutive Longhorn batters.
In the nightcap, behind the pitching combo of Kyle Cormier and Dustin Seale, the Kings got a little more run support and needed just over two hours to knock out the visitors 12-2. “Our pitching was excellent all weekend,” Moore said. “In 28 innings, we gave up a total of three runs — that’s an ERA under 1.”
Kaleb Brawner and Tyler Berg led Bisbee at the plate with two hits apiece and Berg adding a home run.
The Kings return to Hi Corbett Field on Thursday for a Thirsty Thursdays showdown with Davis Monthan Air Force Base, then return home next weekend for what figures to be a competitive series with the Tucson Nationals.
“It looks like every time we play the Nationals it’s a good game,” Moore said. “I expect some good baseball to be played here next Friday and Saturday.”
Though the Kings sport a record on the season of 14-4, the pitching hadn’t been to Moore’s liking.
“Our pitching kind of jelled this weekend,” he said. “I kind of thought it would be like that all season, but we’ve pitched mostly OK and this weekend was the exception.”
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