CULPEPER, Va. — A beautiful sunset backdrop painted the picture at Culpeper High School for a meeting between the Charlottesville Tom Sox (24-10) and the Culpeper Cavaliers (17-18). In an offensive shootout with five total lead changes, the Tom Sox fell in walk-off fashion to the Cavaliers, 6-5.
Charlottesville started the contest with a two-out rally in the top of the first. After Caden Ferraro (Blinn) lined a single to the opposite field, Colby Wallace (East Carolina) smacked a two-run home run deep into the trees in center for his first long ball of the year. Charlottesville scored in the first inning for the 19th time in their 35 games on the year, and scored first for the 24th time.
James Hays (Stetson) took the bump for the Tom Sox, making his sixth start of the summer. Hays entered the game off his best and longest outing of the season, going six scoreless innings with three hits and two strikeouts against the Harrisonburg Turks on July 11.
The righty was able to go 1-2-3 to start his night on the hill, getting Kazuya Jordan and Jon Howard both swinging for two early strikeouts.
The Cavaliers were able to strike back in the next inning, however. After getting their first two hitters on via an error and a single, Gabriel Larry lined a single to left, plating Brock Bollinger to make it 2-1.
Hays got out of the jam quickly, though, getting Tyler Shulman to ground out into a 6-4-3 double play followed by a groundout to keep it at a one-run advantage.
The Tom Sox needed offense to fire back, but they were quickly stifled by new ‘Cavs pitcher Nathan Leininger. After Ferraro hit a blast that just landed foul, a double play ball came around again, ending the inning for the ‘Sox with no damage done.
Culpeper got the best of Hays in the bottom half, tying the game with runs on the board for the first time. After a strikeout to the nine-hole hitter Ryan Kroepel, leadoff man Blagen Pado hit a solo home run to knot it at two apiece. Hays was able to record his fourth punchout of the night and induced a flyout to center to limit the damage.
Culpeper took their first lead of the evening in the next frame. After their first two batters got on with a single and a walk, Larry lined a single off Gibson’s glove at short that went into center, scoring Bollinger and making it 3-2 Culpeper. After getting back-to-back strikeouts, Hays walked Kroepel to load the bases, but Pado flew out to leave the bases loaded and keep the game within a run.
Charlottesville was able to find some runs in the next frame, however. Cale Stricklin (Auburn) reached first on an error before Nunnallee smacked his first hit as a Tom Sock with a single to right. Randy Tomlin, being aggressive, gave Stricklin the wave at home, but Jordan gunned him down at the plate. That didn’t end the threat, though – with Nunnallee on second and Gibson on first after a walk, Wynn roped an opposite field triple to right to score both runners, giving the ‘Sox the lead right back.
Hays’ night was done after four innings pitched as Tomlin turned to Garrett Mason (Virginia Tech) in the fifth. Mason only needed seven pitches to work through a 1-2-3 frame, including a looking strikeout to retire the Cavaliers in order.
The Cavaliers started to put pressure on Mason in the sixth with a hit-by-pitch and a single off the bat of Larry. Mason would get Shulman to strike out swinging before Tomlin came out to end his night.
Charlottesville went to their first lefty on the night with Frank Menendez (Florida), coming in with two men on and one out. After striking out catcher Ryan Peterson, Menenedez walked Kroepel to load the bases, but got Pado to strike out to end the threat.
The Cavaliers took their second lead of the night in the seventh. Menendez started off with a strikeout of Jordan and a groundout to make two quick outs. It wasn’t until a Bollinger hit by pitch that the Cavalier bats lit up, though, as Bryce Demory launched a two-run mammoth home run to left for a 5-4 lead.
The Tom Sox just needed a big moment to turn this game around, and they almost got just that in the eighth. With two outs, Wallace got a hold of a ball that went deep to left center until Pado jumped at the wall, robbing a home run and a chance of a tie game.
Tomlin would turn to the bullpen again to hold the deficit at one, as Dean Kampschror (Virginia) delivered one of his own 1-2-3 innings with a strikeout in his first appearance since July 7.
The ‘Sox found themselves back on the right side in the ninth. Dean Mihos (Coastal Carolina) led off the inning and got hit in the back, representing the tying run. The next batter, Cooper Blauser (Jacksonville State), drew a walk to put the Tom Sox in business with two on and nobody out.
Robbie Lavey (George Washington) came off the bench to pinch hit in a huge spot, taking the place of McMullan, Lavey grounded a ball to the third baseman Howard for a ball that looked like a sure out; however, he threw it away trying to get Mihos at the plate. Unsuccessful, Mihos scored and the game was suddenly tied at 5-5 in the ninth.
Kampschror came back in for his second inning of work in the ninth, but he didn’t last long. A leadoff walk to Jordan made Tomlin switch things up as they made another call to the bullpen, bringing in Thomas Whelan (Davidson). He was greeted by a Howard single to right, putting two on with no outs. His next batter, Bollinger, would walk to load the bases.
Bryce Demory, who already went deep in the contest, was up in a big moment, and delivered. He blooped a single to shallow right field, scoring Jordan as the Cavaliers walked off the Tom Sox 6-5 in the ninth.
Charlottesville suffered their tenth loss of the season, becoming the final team in the VBL to double-digit losses, but still maintain a healthy lead in the race for the South Division’s top seed.
UP NEXT:
The Charlottesville Tom Sox are back at home Friday for a matchup with the Covington Lumberjacks. July 9’s suspended game will be resumed at 5 p.m. before Bark in the Park night takes place at 7 p.m.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Ryan Wynn hit his third triple of the season, moving him into a tie for the second-most in a Tom Sox uniform.
- The ‘Sox have scored first in six of their ten losses on the season.
- Dean Mihos extended his on-base streak to 14 games with his hit-by-pitch in the ninth, tying him for the longest on-base streak on the season (Ethan Gibson).
- Wallace became the 13th different Tom Sox batter with a home run on the season after his two-run shot in the first.
- The Tom Sox dropped their second game in the short series history to the Cavaliers, and the first in Culpeper.
