Channeling lightning in a bottle is no simple feat. But CBA Bulldogs National have made it look easy — not once, but twice.

For the second time in just as many days, the CBA Bulldogs have struck hard and fast at the 17U National Team Championships in Arizona. Pairing lockdown pitching with opportune offense in back-to-back days, the Bulldogs have now jumped out to a 2-0 record in pool play in the desert.

Day one saw CBA shutout Wow Factor G’s Lions 2025 3-0, scoring all three runs in a critical fifth-inning rally. One day later, the Bulldogs followed a similar script. This time, after trailing TB SoCal Evoshield 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, CBA pulled off another epic rally at just the right time.

Head coach Joe Spiers once again watched his team pull off a three-run, game-winning frame and once again witnessed his pitching staff finish the job.

“Sometimes that's all we can get, and you hope the [opponent] makes a couple of mistakes and we can capitalize on it,” Spiers said. “And that's what the guys have been able to do. Fortunately, our pitching has been lights out for us and kept us in these games. They have a chance that when we do put up a couple, it’s to take a lead, and then they just go shut the door. They've been outstanding.”

From starters to closers, Spiers’ staff has been lights-out in CBA’s first two outings of the tournament. Against Wow Factor, starting pitcher Gabriel Buranasiri flamed a day one-high nine strikeouts in his 6.1 innings while giving up no hits, a performance that gave time for the Bulldogs to get on the board.

“Gabe Buranasiri was just throwing up zeros in that game to give us a chance,” Spiers said. “So when we do break through, we’re winning the game, not chasing.”

Against SoCal, it was starting pitcher Troy Simmonds who gave his team a chance to break through and win. Simmonds only gave up one earned run in his six innings of work while throwing five punchouts.

“I was thinking to just continue going up on the mound and continue throwing strikes, let my defense work and let the offense do its thing while I do my thing, which is pitch,” Simmonds said.

Even though his offense couldn’t find its footing, Simmonds wasn’t fazed. Determined to keep doing what he does best, his efforts eventually paid off. After four straight scoreless innings and facing a 3-1 deficit, CBA finally found its rhythm, plating three clutch runs in the top of the seventh to win it.

“We're only in that position because Troy just kept going out there and shutting down a really good offense, and really just keeping them down to give us a chance to do that,” Spiers said. “And then guys just went up there and took some good at-bats.”

CBA’s thrilling seventh frame started out with a flared single into left field. With the rally started, the Bulldogs did whatever they needed to in order to keep the line moving. After earning a walk, Ricardo Zazueta was brought in to pinch hit. Bunting into a fielder’s choice and forcing an error, Zazueta caused chaos, made it to third, and most importantly, tied the contest at 3-3.

No matter the deficit, CBA used disciplined and consistent at-bats to manufacture their big innings, trusting the process and staying calm throughout it all.

“So it’s guys just taking really good at-bats there in the end, not getting down on themselves early on,” Spiers said. “It was the same thing yesterday with how they attacked it.”

With new life, Simmonds and the rest of his team watched from the dugout as the Bulldogs found themselves in yet another rally. Catcher Aiden Bravo then came to the plate and a few pitches later, called game.

Bravo sliced a go-ahead, opposite-field triple down the right field line, scoring Zazueta to take a 4-3 lead. Headed to the last half-inning up one, Spiers already knew who was going to shut the door on SoCal — pitcher RJ Wilson.

“[We] were talking about it before that inning started today — if we tie this thing and take the lead, what do we want to go do? And RJ has pitched some big tournaments for us and has always had success. And today was no different for him.”

As soon as his squad took the lead, Spiers didn’t hesitate. He sent Wilson to the pen, and three outs later, it was all over.

“Just told him right there, spur of the moment, go get in the bullpen. And he goes out there and does his job, competes with multiple pitches, and says, ‘Hey, here you go, try to beat it.’”

Even after a runner made his way to second, Wilson went right at SoCal, forcing soft contact for two flyouts and a groundout, earning the save to go along with Simmonds’ impressive day on the mound and extending his team’s win streak at Champs Arizona.

“Feels really good being up 2-0, if we can continue this we have a good shot of going deep into playoffs,” Simmonds said. “We just got to keep this up.”

With arms like Buranasi, Simmonds, and Wilson committed to each and every pitch and determined to do whatever it takes, there’s no reason the CBA Bulldogs can’t keep summoning the magic from its first two games during the rest of the tournament.

“These guys, just every pitch, are just locked in,” Spiers said. “And they understand that they can't take any breaks, mentally or physically, they just got to keep going.”