'Sox Victory at Strasburg Brings Reassurance to 2025 Team
By: Bryan Portney
STRASBURG, Va. – For 344 days, First Bank Park has been a sore subject on the minds of Tom Sox fans everywhere. The ‘Sox were on the heels of a dramatic 8-to-7 victory the night before as Hudson Lutterman flipped the bat on a sac fly to center to walk it off in Game 2.
Jackson Sirois charged home from third base to secure the win, seeing Lutterman back away from the ball that evened up the series.
The Tom Sox players came flying out of the dugout and chased Lutterman around second base and into the outfield with a Gatorade container that still had some juice left in the tank.
Daniel Stein, who was one of the team’s On-Air interns in 2025, punctuated the night with his call of the final play on the Tom Sox YouTube channel: “Pack your bags, we’re going to Strasburg!”
That would be the final game of the season for the squad at CHO Airport Field, as the 455-person crowd packed the stands and left a noise of cautious optimism that might as well have lasted an eternity, though it was only for a night.
The sac fly, the pop of the crowd, and the electrifying call set the stage for the ‘Sox against the Strasburg Express for Game 3.
With a win, the finale would mark the fifth title in the 10-year history of the Tom Sox. It would also give them back-to-back championships, the first time a team did so since the Express in 2015–16.
Head coach Randy Tomlin was in his first year under the helm at Charlottesville when the ‘Sox won it in 2024 against the Purcellville Cannons. The Tom Sox overcame a 21-8 loss in Game 2 and would then ride a six-run fifth inning in Game 3 to secure the title.
A 3-9 start to the 2025 season became the catalyst of a furious second-half comeback that earned them a home playoff game against the Waynesboro Generals.
The conditions looked all but ideal for the story to continue heading into the Valley League Championship Series.
Unfortunately for the ‘Sox, they would record no hits in a 5-to-2 loss to hand the Express the 2025 title.
Now, we reach the present day. July 9, 2026. It’s a Thursday night clash at that fateful place where the playoff run came to a close.
The bus ride through I-64 and I-81 was business as usual, save for a quick downpour that got the brunt of a potential storm out of the way before first pitch. There was no extra noise on the road, nor was there when the players arrived at the field that was still tarped.
After the cover came off the infield and the light rain subsided, it was time for the normal warmups and first pitch.
Both sides had no returners in their starting lineups, but the sentiment of this game remained the same.
The story was slightly different, however the implications were still high as the ‘Sox found themselves in the heat of a playoff race.
With a 7-to-3 road victory against the Culpeper Cavaliers, the Tom Sox clinched at least a split in the six-game head-to-head with one contest remaining.
The win propelled the ‘Sox to third place in the South Division, as four of the six teams get to reach the playoffs. The urgency to win this game was now coming from two fronts thanks to that.
The Tom Sox quickly washed away the no-hitter of that Game 3 with back-to-back singles from Xavier McCoury (Liberty) and Grayson McCollum (Kennesaw State) to lead off the Thursday contest.
That start dictated the rest of the game, as the ‘Sox controlled the lead during the back-and-forth affair.
It was not without late fireworks, however, as a three-run frame for the Express in the bottom of the eighth cut the lead to two and provided some adversity.
The victory was complete with a quick throw to second as Xavier McCoury (Liberty) made the connection with Harrison Campi (Wofford).
In a game where no one who played was part of the 2025 team, the 11-to-9 win may ease the minds of fans and followers of the ‘Sox. The revenge tour is complete in the regular season, as the postseason quickly looms.
