The Ballard baseball team continued its strong start to the summer season this week, winning all three games and improving to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in Raccoon River Conference play.

The Bombers combined explosive offense, aggressive baserunning, and strong pitching performances to outscore their opponents 35-5 during the stretch.

Ballard opened the week Monday with a conference doubleheader sweep of Carroll.

In the opener, the Bombers defeated the Tigers 11-4. Ballard scored three runs in the first inning and added five more in the fifth to pull away. Stetson Kane provided a spark with a two-run home run, while Evan Kinzenbaw doubled and drove in two runs. Ethan Rouse added an RBI and scored twice, and Jack Plucar crossed the plate three times.

The Bombers were aggressive on the basepaths, stealing nine bases in the victory. Jake Clement led the way with three steals. On the mound, Sid Farmer earned the win, allowing just two earned runs over five innings while Jake Clement closed out the game with two innings of relief.

Ballard completed the sweep with an 11-1 victory in game two. Kane again delivered the big hit, blasting a home run and driving in four runs. Kinzenbaw collected two hits and scored twice, while Ben Clement added a double and an RBI.

Kane was equally effective on the mound, tossing four scoreless innings and striking out four. Ballard drew 11 walks and capitalized on numerous scoring opportunities to secure the conference sweep.

The Bombers returned home Wednesday and delivered another dominant performance, defeating Winterset 13-0 in five innings.

After scoring single runs in each of the first two innings, Ballard broke the game open with seven runs in the third and added four more in the fourth.

Kinzenbaw led the offensive attack, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Ben Clement collected two doubles and scored twice, while Bryce Miller connected on a home run and drove in two runs. Ballard finished with eight hits, nine walks, and eight stolen bases.

The pitching staff was nearly flawless. Ethan Rouse struck out three over two hitless innings to start the game before Bowen Benedict and Michael Wiechmann combined to complete the shutout. The trio did not allow a hit as Ballard recorded one of its most dominant pitching performances of the season.

For the week, the Bombers showcased the depth that has fueled their successful start. Kane homered twice and drove in six runs during the three-game stretch, while Kinzenbaw collected six hits, including five extra-base hits, and drove in five runs.

With the undefeated week, Ballard improved to 8-2 overall and remained perfect in conference play at 4-0.