Tom Sox Trounce Turks, 14-2, In Seven Innings
HARRISONBURG, Va.– At 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the dreaded horn rang out at Eagle Field in Harrisonburg. Shortly after, it was announced that lightning was detected within eight miles of the park.
Four days prior, on Saturday, a storm postponed the Tom Sox matchup against the Turks in just the second inning. Now, before the second go-around could even resume, Mother Nature had forced the Tom Sox into their cars yet again – another episode in a series of rain delays that spelled Déjà vu for Charlottesville.
But both teams were determined to sit out the rain, and once the clouds gave way for baseball, the Tom Sox trounced the Turks, 14-2, fueled by dominant pitching and a steady stream of run support.
The first inning and a third of the contest took place on July 12, with Hunter Hyatt starting on the mound. Hyatt, in just one inning of work, stranded two Turks, including its pesky leadoff man, Jalen Evans, who reached on three of his four plate appearances. But the postponement forced the ‘Sox to turn to Brandon Eldridge (Florida Southwestern), who dismantled a Harrisonburg lineup that scored 21 runs in its previous game.
Eldridge pitched five innings of one-run baseball, setting a new season high along with five strikeouts, which ties another top mark in his summer.
“[The] fastball was working well today,” Eldridge said. “If it was up in the zone, they were getting it up in the air, if it was down, they were hitting some ground balls.”
Eldridge has proven to be a key piece in Randy Tomlin’s bullpen down the stretch, using a fastball, slider and looping curveball with consistency to set down hitters. He’s provided situational versatility, while also producing extended outings. Eldridge has pitched at least two innings in four of his last five appearances, holding opposing hitters to just a .218 average.
Not to be overlooked, the bats put together a complete performance in the ‘Sox first game since the All-Star break. Piling a season-high run total, the ‘Sox continued to incorporate small ball into its offensive identity, bringing across the first two runs of the game on bases-loaded walks from Lee Sowers and Perry Hargett (North Carolina)in the second inning. In the third, Walker Buchanan and newcomer Will Jennewein (Sewanee)knocked in two more runs, and Elijah Guilliams (Flagler)also scored on a wild pitch.
From the fourth inning on, the ‘Sox asserted their control over Harrisonburg. Following a leadoff double from Hargett, Patrick Niehus (Gardner-Webb), fresh off of his performance at Eagle Field in the Valley League Home Run Derby, blasted a slider over the left-field fence, plating a pair.
Three innings later, the ‘Sox decided to get a head start on the drive down I-81, dropping seven additional runs and increasing its lead to 12. Of the 11 Tom Sox who batted in the inning, eight of them reached base.
Ryan Pugh pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the ‘Sox, ending the game two innings early and putting Charlottesville at a 17-14 record heading into the final nine games of the regular season. Eldridge said the frustration of the frequent rainouts have tested the ‘Sox in 2025, but it has caused the team to be more prepared for the home stretch.
“We’re ready for pretty much anything you throw at us,” he said.
UP NEXT:
The ‘Sox are back in action on Thursday evening as they host the Culpeper Cavaliers at CHO Airport Field at Charlottesville High School for a doubleheader, with the first game starting at 5:00 p.m. Both games can be streamed on YouTube and Facebook.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The 14 runs the ‘Sox scored are the most in a single game this season
This was the first run-rule win of the season for Charlottesville
With the win, the Tom Sox move into second place in the South Division, which would give them a bye in the Valley League playoffs if the season ended today
The 12-run margin of victory is the largest for the ‘Sox against the Turks in franchise history
Patrick Niehus tied the Tom Sox season high in RBI with four
Anderson French and Will Jennewein each collected hits in their Tom Sox debut
