CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After a dominant 8-1 victory on Friday night against New Market, the Charlottesville Tom Sox (23-13) failed to make it two straight as they fell 6-2 against the Strasburg Express (26-16).
Strasburg jumped out to an early lead in the first inning as just two batters in, as Michael O’Shaughnessy crushed a pitch from Mike Eggert (Wofford) to deep right field. Eggert’s struggles continued in the first, surrendering an RBI double to Victor Castillo, and Strasburg had a two-run advantage before the ‘Sox took their first hacks.
The Tom Sox led off the second with a bang as Nathan Fink (Florida Southwestern) rocketed a pitch off the right field fence for a double. The next batter, Connor Hincks (Notre Dame), hit a ball into right field, and Fink decided to test his luck going home, but he was gunned down at the dish. Charlottesville loaded the bases with two outs in the inning for Garrett Spikes (Georgia), and he came through, grounding a single into right field, which scored Hincks.
Despite three runs coming across in the first two, the battle between two of the top teams in the VBL turned into a pitchers’ duel. Both pitchers tossed goose eggs in the third and fourth as the Express still led 2-1.
After being blanked for two consecutive innings, the ‘Sox led off the fifth with a walk from Kalvin Alexander (Georgia Southwestern), Spikes laid a bunt down for a single, and Alexander advanced to third on a throwing error by pitcher Noah Hertzler. With runners on the corners and no outs, Kyle Edwards (Old Dominion) blooped a ball into left field for an RBI single that evened the score at two. With two runners on, the Tom Sox committed a pair of baserunning blunders as Spikes and Edwards were both tagged out coming home. Charlottesville only managed to tack on one run in the fifth.
Eggert’s night came to a close to begin the sixth as Lyndon Coleman went to his bullpen, bringing in Yordani Carmona (St. Thomas U.). Eggert finished his night tossing five innings, allowing two runs and striking out five.
Carmona allowed the first two hitters to reach base before retiring the next two Express batters. However, that’s when disaster struck for Carmona, as he tossed a wild pitch allowing Mitchell Smith to score. With the bases loaded after a walk to Cade Parker, Chase Ingram broke the ballgame open when he laced a two-run single into right field, making it a 5-2 contest. Strasburg added an insurance run in the inning as Reece Woody notched an RBI single, but Ingram was cut down at home for the third out on a gorgeous throw from Spikes in left.
Carmona was pulled for Hayden Smith (Kentucky) in the sixth, who came back out to work the seventh. Smith loaded the bases in the inning but worked out of the jam and stranded all three runners.
He worked two more scoreless innings, and the ‘Sox bats went quietly in the late stages of the contest, falling 6-2.
The Tom Sox will be back in action on Sunday as they travel to Winchester to face off against the Royals in a doubleheader. The first pitch for game one is at 4 P.M.
Additional Notes
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Garrett Spikes sits one game away from tying and two away from setting the Tom Sox all-time games played record, which is currently held by Jack Morris (2016/18).
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The Tom Sox collect their fourth loss of the season when out-hitting their opponent.
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Charlottesville has scored three or fewer runs in nine of their 18 home games. They scored fewer than three runs for the first time since July 10, a road loss to the Harrisonburg Turks.
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The ten walks allowed by the ‘Sox pitching staff is the most this season.
