'Sox Battle But Fall to Culpeper

By: Matt Becker

CULPEPER, Va- The Tom Sox looked to bounce back against the Culpeper Cavaliers after a 7-2 loss to Wayneboro the night prior. Randy Tomlin returned to coach the team after not being able to coach the season opener due to his head coach duties for Liberty-Christian Academy.

Let’s see how the game turned out:

In the top of the second, Luke Craddock (ECU) scorched a ball to left field for the Tom Sox first home run of the season. Simon Tesfaye (Georgetown) notched an RBI groundout to bring home Sam Summerlin (Kennesaw State) to make it 2-0 ‘Sox.

Nolan Bethel (Kennesaw State) started tonight’s game and had a tremendous outing, posting a final line of four innings pitched, one hit, no runs, three walks and two strikeouts.

With the bases loaded for Culpeper in the bottom of the 6th, Evan Reese escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam with a strikeout and a foul flyout.

Dom Cafferillo (Georgetown) and Summerlin notched back-to-back singles to start the top of the 7th. Tanner Craytor (Sewanee) drove both runners in with an RBI double.

Culpeper would end up taking the lead in the bottom of the 7th, scoring five runs on four hits with one error charged to the Tom Sox. The Cavaliers added another run in the bottom of the 8th, making it 6-4 with the Tom Sox having only three outs to make a comeback.

Tommy Landsnes led off the top of the 9th with an opposite-field double to get things started. Kai Aoki (Colby) tagged an RBI ground-out to make it 6-5, but that would put the Tom Sox on the brink with two outs.

Craytor stepped up to the plate and ripped a first-pitch single up the middle to tie the game as the dugout went ballistic. The ‘Sox added another run in the top of the 10th with an RBI fielder's choice from Grayson McCollum (Kennesaw State).

Culpeper ended up scoring four runs in the bottom of the 10th, capped off by a three-run long ball from Johnny Sutryk to give the Cavaliers a 10-7 win.

UP NEXT: The Tom Sox (0-2) open up the 2026 home portion of the season tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. against the Woodstock River Bandits (1-1). The River Bandits come into this matchup after a dominant 21-3 Saturday night win over the Front Royal Cardinals.