CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – On a night where 2-time Super Bowl Champion and philanthropist Chris Long threw out the first pitch, the Charlottesville Tom Sox (16-5) could not echo the buzz felt through the ballpark, falling 7-3 to the Staunton Braves (11-10) on Thursday at Charlottesville High School. Charlottesville fell victim to an impressive pitching performance by the visiting side, mustering up only seven hits and three runs, their fewest at home this season.
Tom Sox hitters drew a walk only twice on the night – the fewest this season – and fell victim to 12 Staunton strikeouts, the second-most on the year. The loss snapped Charlottesville’s four-game win streak and handed the ‘Sox only their second home loss on the year.
The Tom Sox were led on the mound by starter Trevor Booton (Auburn), who tossed four innings and allowed five hits and four runs, all of which were earned. He walked two and struck out four of the 20 batters he faced. Both James Hays (Georgia) and Marco Levari (Old Dominion) tossed a pair of clean innings, with the only blemish being an unearned run surrendered by Hays. Ryan Grzesiak (Florida Southwestern) was able to limit Staunton’s ninth-inning damage with a clean sheet.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Following a scoreless first inning, the Braves got on the board first in the second on an AJ Wenrich RBI single to left field, which plated Andrew Shaffner.
- Booton was able to bounce back with a 1-2-3 third, but Staunton got to him in the third. A pair of singles allowed Weinrich to draw his RBI total to four with a three-run home run, his fifth on the year, over the left-field fence.
- Charlottesville threatened to bounce back in the bottom half, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk, but Staunton was able to get out of it without damage and keep the ‘Sox off the board.
- One more Braves run reached in the top of the fifth off of James Hays. Three-hole hitter Jake D’Altrui reached on an error, then advanced to third on a balk and wild pitch. Noah Canterbury drove him in with a single to make it 5-1.
- The Tom Sox scored a trio of two-out runs in the eighth to cut their deficit to two. A perfectly placed double down the left-field line by Dean Mihos (Coastal Carolina) drove in Sam Mummau (Florida), followed by an Ethan Gibson (Virginia Tech) single to bring in Mihos. A high throw by Staunton third baseman Jacob Lester allowed Gibson to score and make it a 5-3 game.
- Staunton removed all doubt in the top of the ninth on a two-run single by Wyatt Campbell which sealed the game at 7-3.
UP NEXT:
The Tom Sox will return home on Friday (June 28), facing the Waynesboro Generals for First Responders Night. All first responders in uniform or with ID will receive free admission. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Gibson reached base twice on the night to extend his on-base streak to 14 games, the longest on the team this season.
- Gibson’s eighth-inning run was his 27th run scored on the year, six more than the next-best VBL player.
- Staunton joins Harrisonburg as the only two teams to record multiple wins against the ‘Sox this season.
- The Tom Sox were out-hit for the third time this season, all three of which resulted in losses.
- Johnnie Lopez (Seminole State) received his first day off of the summer.
