[PHOTOSTORY 2: MOTION] The Cherry Bombs Defeat The Catawba Valley Stars 9-5

By: Kennon Paulk

The Macon Baseball Park sign outside the Luther Williams field. The Luther Williams field hosts all Macon Bacon games and also is a historic site in the city of Macon. 

The night's slate for action, The Catawba Valley Stars against the Macon Bacon's Alter Ego, the Cherry Bombs. Alter Egos have become a popular way for teams to try out new logos and jersey designs and also ignite fan engagement.

      Catawba Valley Stars player Jalen Williams (right) hits a baseball to warm up fielders for the game. Williams is an outfielder for the Stars and is from Bluefield State University.

The teams line up for the National Anthem. Luther Williams Field has seen many historic moments, including when Jackie Robinson broke the state's color barrier on April 7, 1949.

Starting Pitcher Robert Mitchell throws the first pitch of the game. Mitchell is from Florida Southwestern State University where he sported a 5.61 ERA and 44 strikeouts through 46.1 innings pitched.

Valley Stars AJ Sierra slides into second to collect the first hit of the game for the Stars. Sierra has a .281 batting average throughout the season.

The Macon Cherry Bombs line the fence as their team is at bat. The Cherry Bombs jersey feature a cherry blossom to pay homage to the famous Cherry Blossoms in Macon with over 300,000 of them in the city.

Valley Stars Starting Pitcher John Dooley tosses his first warm up pitches of the game. In his last six games, he has allowed 23 runs through 19.1 innings pitched.

Max Prozny walks home after ball out of play allows him to score the first run of the game for the Cherry Bombs. Prozny is an outfielder for the Bombs and is from Georgia Southern University.
 

John Dooley (left) stares down the batter Daniel Spicher (right) at the plate. Luther Williams Field can hold 3,500 people at full capacity. 

Jonathon Sosnowski pitches a ball to the Valley Stars batter after coming into the game for relief. Sosnowski played for Lake Sumter State College where he average 4.15 strikeouts per game.

Shortstop Stephen Jordan tries to make a play to first after fielding a ground ball. Jordan is another Georgia Southern alumni for the Cherry Bombs.

Valley Stars First Baseman Jackson Steele swings and misses at a pitch. Steele later in the at bat made contact with a pitch to put him on first.

Jackson Steele runs home to score the first run for the Valley Stars. Steele is a two-way player for the Stars who frequents relief outings.

The Valley Stars bring in Jaxen Hatfield to help in relief. Hatfield had 10 strikeouts through 15.2 innings pitched coming into this game.

Daniel Spicher speeds to first even though he could not outrun the ball. Spicher is from Tallahassee State College where he claims a .293 batting average with 27 RBIs from last season.

 

The Valley Stars search for another out after loading the bases in the fifth inning. The Cherry Bombs would score the majority of their runs in this inning with a total of five. 

Charles Cassingham (left) scores yet another run for the Cherry Bombs. Cassingham is a second baseman for The University of South Alabama. 

Relief Pitcher Lawson Gailey takes the mound with a seven run lead at the top of the sixth. Gailey would be the last pitcher the Bombs sent out to the mound as he allowed only two runs. 

The Cherry Bombs celebrate with a light show after winning 9-5 against the Valley Stars. This win broke a four game winning streak for the Valley Stars.