‘Sox Fall Just Short Against Royals, 10-8

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –In what began as a back and forth affair, the Charlottesville Tom Sox (13-14) fell on a warm Sunday afternoon to the Winchester Royals (14-14) by a final score of 10-8. With this loss, the ‘Sox now fall to 0-4 when they sit at an even record coming into the matchup.

JT Gibson (Kennesaw State) got the start for the ‘Sox and only lasted an inning and two-thirds. Gibson surrendered four runs, with only one being earned. The Royals put up four runs in two innings, but the ‘Sox outdid them, racking up five runs on the scoreboard with three in the first and two in the second.

After three straight singles to lead off the bottom of the first inning from Perry Hargett (North Carolina), Jackson Sirois, and Preston Gamster (TCU), newcomer Elijah Guilliams (Flagler)knocked them all in with a bases-clearing double down the right field line. Guilliams is now 4-11 with three doubles and six RBI in his three games with the ‘Sox.

In the bottom of the second, after Winchester retook the lead, 4-3,Walker Buchanan and Kyle Langley (James Madison)delivered back-to-back singles before Sirois again showed up in the clutch, driving in Buchanan with a single through the left side. Sirois finished the day with three hits and put together a weekend where he had six hits in nine at-bats, including last night’s go-ahead RBI single.

After a Gamster sacrifice fly, the ‘Sox led, 5-4, a score that held through the middle innings as relievers for both sides delivered strong performances.

Saxon Roberts (Auburn)came in from the bullpen and pitched over three innings of shutout baseball, only allowing one hit and tallying four strikeouts in what was his best outing of the season.

It wasn’t until the top of the seventh inning where the wheels fell off for Charlottesville. Six runs were given up between two pitchers for the ‘Sox, as reliever McCall Biemiller (Florida)was credited for the loss. A 10-5 lead for the Royals held through the rest of the seventh and eighth as Riley Roarty (VCU)came on and threw two shutout frames.

A comeback began to brew in the bottom of the ninth as head coach Randy Tomlin’s guys looked to break through and pull off a miracle. Down to their final out, Guilliams drove in Sirois with a single, and a tough 10-pitch at-bat from Hudson Lutterman (Virginia Tech)resulted in a bases-loaded walk to make it 10-7.

Brock Clayton (Florida)followed that up with a walk of his own to shrink the deficit to two, but that was the closest the Tom Sox got as Winchester shut the door to close out the 10-8 win.

UP NEXT:

The Tom Sox now sit once again a game under .500 and will head to Purcellville tomorrow night for their second matchup of the season with the Cannons.