The Redbirds (40+) saved their best for last on Wednesday night, unleashing a relentless seven-hit, six-run rally in the seventh inning to break open a tight contest and topple Los Viejos 10-4 at The Parks at Texas Star. What started as a back-and-forth game quickly turned into a Redbirds showcase, fueled by explosive offense, aggressive baserunning, and clutch pitching.
Los Viejos struck first in the bottom of the second inning with a run-scoring double by Ryan Benkert, but the Redbirds answered with authority in the third. Lester Bedford’s groundout plated two, and Jerry Anderson added a two-out RBI single to put the Redbirds up 3-1. Another run in the fourth made it 4-1, but Los Viejos battled back, tying the game at 4-4 by the end of the fifth.
Then came the turning point. In the top of the seventh, the Redbirds offense erupted. Mark Tierney drove in a run with a sharp single, Phil Bosco followed with an RBI knock of his own, and Chris Cec laced a double to bring another across. Bedford delivered the final blow with a two-RBI single that stretched the lead to 10-4, capping a brilliant inning in which every at-bat seemed to carry weight.
Jerry Gamez came on in relief to earn the win, tossing three effective innings and allowing just two hits and one earned run. Starter Troy Key gave the Redbirds four solid frames, allowing three runs—only two of them earned—on six hits while striking out one.
Offensively, the Redbirds pounded out 17 hits. Anderson led the way with a perfect 3-for-3 night at the plate, while Tierney, Cec, Kevin Fought, Brant Farris, and Dustin Harrison each notched multi-hit games. Bedford led the team with three RBIs, and the Redbirds’ aggressiveness on the basepaths made a major difference. They stole 12 bases as a team, with Tierney and Harrison swiping three each, keeping pressure on Los Viejos from start to finish.
Los Viejos got three hits from Ron Kramer and two RBIs from Joshua Brown, but couldn’t match the Redbirds’ firepower down the stretch. Starter Chris Duty was tagged with the loss, surrendering 16 hits and 10 runs—nine of them earned—over seven innings.
The win improves the Redbirds’ record and serves as another reminder of their ability to strike quickly and close strong. Player of the Game honors go to Jerry Anderson, whose perfect day at the plate and steady presence helped power the Redbirds past Los Viejos in one of their most complete performances of the season.
