The Charlottesville Tom Sox faced the Staunton Braves for the second time in Crutchfield Park this week, leaving with another win, 6-2, powered by a hit-fueled second inning. The game was called early after weather intervened, bringing the Tom Sox seasonal record to 4-1.
The Braves started things off in the first, drawing three walks and stealing three bases. Kent Rooklin (West Virginia Tech) scored one run off an error by Tom Sox catcher Ryan Dyal (Auburn) and two were left on base to give the Braves a quick one-to-nothing start. The Tom Sox had a slow start with outfielder Makenzie Pate (Coastal Carolina) getting the only hit and being left on base at the end of the inning.
In the second inning, the Braves’ batter Andrew Bennett advanced to first off a single heading towards third, and he advanced to second off an error by pitcher Noah Overton (UNC Wilmington). Overton redeemed himself by stranding the runner ninety feet away to wrap up the top half.
Offensively, the Tom Sox exploded in the bottom of the second. Six different players hit an RBI in the inning including Ryan Dyal, Matt Corpas (Florida Southwestern), Kameron Guidry (Georgia), Cole Foster (Auburn), Makenzie Pate, and Garrett Spikes (Georgia). Pate and Ebel have reached base in every game this year.
Pitching for the Tom Sox has been productive, but they have not fallen into a consistent rhythm, walking 6 players in the first four innings. Collin Bosley-Smith (Duke) had three strikeouts and the team had eight strikeouts total, allowing the Sox to maintain their lead coming down the stretch. Staunton’s second run was brought in by Joe Delossantos after a string of wild pitches by the Tom Sox, but it was not enough to overtake the lead.
Midway through the bottom of the seventh, the game was halted and ultimately called due to inclement weather, leaving the final score at 6-2. The Tom Sox are back in action again on Saturday, June 12, taking on the Harrisonburg Turks at James Madison University at 7:30 pm, beginning a streak of thirteen games in eleven days. Their next home matchup will come Sunday afternoon at 5 pm against Fort Royal, with admission free, courtesy of Carter Bank and Trust.
