Charlottesville Sweeps Staunton to Reach South Divsion Final

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - In a year full of struggle and success, Charlottesville found a way to stay consistent in a 7-6 win over Staunton to reach the VBL South Division Final for the fifth straight season.

In front of the largest home crowd of the 2026 season, the 'Sox stormed back in the seventh inning to sweep the series with the Braves.

The Tom Sox struck first, as they have done consistently against Staunton in the first inning, when Caiden Combs (Auburn) drove in Tommy Landsnes to give the Tom Sox the early advantage.

Evan Alwine, a Tom Sox veteran, got the nod to begin the game for the 'Sox in a full-circle moment after he missed the postseason due to injury in 2025.

The Braves would get on the board for a pair of runs in the third. They threatened for more, but Alwine stood tall and worked through the trouble to keep it a 2-1 game.

Following his second hit of the game, Combs would come around to score on a throwing error to knot the ballgame up at two.

Alwine trudged through six complete innings; he attempted to continue into the seventh but allowed two singles and was lifted for Nolan Bethel (Kennesaw State). The first batter Bethel faced caused an error that allowed both runners to score; he would allow another run to come across before the end, giving the Braves the 5-2 advantage.

But as they have done all season long, the Tom Sox never quit. With two outs in the seventh, the 'Sox scored five runs to take a lead they would never relinquish. It felt eerily similar to the South Division Semi-Final in 2025, where Charlottesville lept the Braves in the late stages on the road to advance to the South Final.

Chris Fortunato (Stevenson) came into the contest following the big inning and quieted down the game. In the ninth, Randy Tomlin sent out Asher Sabom (Augusta) to close the door. Despite an unearned run crossing the plate, Sabom held on, closing out the win with a flyout to Bryce Neely (Virginia) in center field.

UP NEXT: The Tom Sox will take a day off, as Game Three in the other South Division Semi-Final between Harrisonburg and Waynesboro takes place to determine Charlottesville's opponent in the next round. The South Division Final will take place on Saturday, with a site in either Charlottesville or Waynesboro; time is to be determined.