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mini-home run derby to La Crosse on Thursday.
The Dallas Baptist University teammates, who also played together in the Texas Collegiate League last summer, each hit a home run to propel the La Crosse Loggers to a 6-1 victory over Battle Creek in front of 3,119 people at Copeland Park.
La Crosse (15-12) has won seven of its last eight games to move into sole possession of second place in the Northwoods League’s South Division, but hasn’t gained ground on red-hot Green Bay (21-6), which won again Thursday and has a six-game lead with seven left in the first half.
“The momentum is so huge and the kids now believe they can win games and strings of games,” Loggers manager Rick Boyer said. “It’s going to be good for us for the rest of the first half and going into the second half.”
Bigley hit his team-leading fourth homer in the third inning, a three-run shot that sailed high over the wall in left field. Not to be outdone, Head hit a two-run blast that cleared the fence in center.
Bigley and Head combined for 22 home runs this spring at Dallas Baptist University and 13 last summer while playing for Denton, Texas.
“When I came back to the dugout, (Head) congratulated me and said, Man, I gotta hit at least one,’” said Bigley, whose homer off Daniel Britt gave La Crosse a 4-1 lead.
Head did just that in the sixth. He launched the first pitch he saw from lefty Dan Puls to make it 6-1.
It was the first home run of the season for Head, who entered the game batting .097.
“I just kept working hard and kept up good confidence,” said Head, who also had a double in the game.
The Loggers have hit seven home runs since a 20-15 slugfest win at Thunder Bay on June 21.
“We all struggled early a little bit and I think that game at Thunder Bay got our confidence up,” Bigley said. “We knew we were a good hitting team and now we’re starting to put it together with some runs and hits.”
Paul Bargas, a left-hander from Arizona, went five innings and allowed one run on four hits for his first win of the summer. Three relievers Britton Wolf, Bryan Ruff and Jordan Herbert followed with four scoreless innings.
Bargas (1-2) threw 68 pitches and came out of the game with back spasms, a problem he has worked through all season.
“They were manageable but I didn’t want to push it,” Bargas said. “My arm felt good and I felt like I was in control the whole time. Now, all I’m waiting for is my back to be 100 percent.”
The Loggers executed a double steal to take a 1-0 lead in the first. Jim Viscomi ran home as Eric Thames took second base.
Viscomi, who had been out of the lineup since June 17 with hamstring trouble, stole two bases in the game and has 10 this season.
The Bombers (10-17) touched Bargas for a run in the third in Sean Madigan’s RBI sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Viscomi has 24 stolen bases for his career. Dale Mueller holds the team’s career record with 34. The Loggers are 7-5 at home.
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