It was more like a scrimmage for the Nevada Bullets.
Fresh off a second-place finish at the Sparks Sertoma Classic over the weekend and heading into a key three-game Far West League series today against the Chico Stix, Nevada Bullets manager Jim Blueberg did a lot of experimenting with his position players against the Butte Sabres.
It didn't matter.
The Bullets swept the non-league doubleheader, 11-0 and 8-2, Wednesday afternoon at Western Nevada College.
"They weren't what I thought they would be," Blueberg said. "They were missing a couple of key pitchers. We played a lot of guys who haven't played a lot, and we played some guys in different positions. We were able to rest some people."
In the opener, which was called after five innings because of the 10-run rule, righthander Scott Greene hurled his second consecutive good game. Greene limited the Sabres to just two hits over four innings. Brooks Klein, normally an outfielder, allowed one hit in pitching a scoreless fifth.
Greene had plenty of offensive support, as the Bullets scored two in the first, seven in the second and three in the third.
Sean Brown had the key blow, a three-run homer which highlighted the seven-run second.
In the second game, Kevin Schulewitch allowed just two hits over the first five innings. He fanned four and walked one. Newcomer Leo Fuentes allowed two sixth-inning runs and Kevin Taylor, normally a third baseman, enjoyed a 1-2-3 seventh. Taylor touched 86 on the radar gun.
The Bullets scored once in the first when Chris Woolley tripled and scored on a single by WNC teammate Connor Eppard, who recently returned from a stint in the Northwoods League, a wood bat league in the Midwest.
Nevada made it 6-0 with a five-run barrage in the bottom of the fourth.
Ex-Dayton star Conner Oliver singled home two runs as did Zac Sanford. A passed ball accounted for the fifth run.
In the fifth, the Bullets added two unearned runs thanks to two errors and a run-scoring single by Colby Blueberg.
The Sabres avoided the shutout with two in the sixth off Fuentes. The Bullets' pitching was so dominant that the Sabres only had one runner reach second base other than the inning they scored twice.
"Scott threw well today and Kevin bounced back after a tough outing in the tournament over the weekend," Blueberg said. "They both kept the ball down and let the defense do the work."
As the Bullets prepare for tonight's series opener against the Stix, they will be without hard-throwing right-hander Tyler Spencer and utility player Beau Day. Their absences will be felt.
"Tyler had to go home for a week to take care of some things," Blueberg said. "Beau is probably going to be gone for the rest of the season. He is dealing with some academic stuff; trying to get some things straightened out for (four-year) college."
However, the additions of Taylor and Eppard will really help offensively.
"Those are two big bats that will really help," Blueberg said. Eppard swung a consistent bat for WNC. Taylor, who was dismissed from the WNC roster early in the season, might be the best pure hitter on the squad.
