CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox (3-4) will face the Staunton Braves (3-5) on the road tonight at John Moxie Stadium. It will be broadcast live on the Braves Facebook page. First pitch is set for 7:30 P.M.
Coverage: Viewers can head to the Braves Facebook Page to watch tonight’s game. Live audio is available on the VBL Audio Network and ESPN 1240 AM in Staunton. A link to the live stats is available on Pointstreak. The Tom Sox Twitter account (@CvilleTomSoxVBL) will provide live updates.
Ticket Information: Tickets are available at the gate for tonight’s game. Free tickets are available locally at Consumers Auto Warehouse, Brookdale Senior Living, and Lilly Title & Settlement in Staunton.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Staunton: TBA
Charlottesville: RHP Tyler Horvat, Washington & Jefferson (0-1, 5.40 ERA, 5.0 IP, 0 BB, 2 K)
LEADING OFF
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The Tom Sox will travel to John Moxie Stadium for the first time this season to face the Braves.
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Yesterday’s doubleheader was postponed due to field conditions. It will be played on the 28th.
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The ‘Sox lost a heartbreaker in their last game, losing 1-0 to Harrisonburg on a walk-off single.
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After starting the season 3-0, the Tom Sox have won three of their last four games. They are outscoring opponents 21-12 over the span.
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Staunton was swept in a doubleheader by Winchester yesterday, losing 6-4 in game 1 and 7-0 in game 2.
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Tyler Horvat will make his second start of the season in game one and Marty Gair will make his first in game two.
SERIES vs STAUNTON
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Charlottesville leads the series 25-19 and has won 10 of the last 14 games.
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The ‘Sox have lost 2 of the last 3 games in Staunton.
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The first game was the next in a saga of three straight wild games between Staunton & Charlottesville.
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On Monday, the Tom Sox came back from a six-run deficit, scoring 11 runs in the 6th & 7th innings to win 13-8. Julian Rojas led the team with four RBI, while Gavin Abrams and Hunter Sute each added three apiece. The ‘Sox collected six hits with runners in scoring position, after collecting just one such hit in the first three contests.
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The last meeting in Staunton, the Tom Sox scored 15 runs in the 4th & 5th innings to capture the VBL’s first ever run-rule win. Dillon Janac, Angelo Cabral, and Tristan Sipple combined to allow no earned runs and strike out 11. Gehrig Ebel, Wyatt Langford, and RJ Ochoa each hit a home run in the 4th inning.
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July 9 was an instant classic, with Staunton winning a back-and-forth game 14-13 in extra innings. Garrett Spikes and Kam Guidry each knocked in 3 runs for the ‘Sox, while three players each collected three hits. The Braves walked it off in the 10th on a wild pitch by Charlottesville’s James Vaughn.
LAST GAME
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The Tom Sox lost a tough one to the Turks on Saturday, 1-0.
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The game was scoreless through eight and a half innings before Harrisonburg’s Sam Schner hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
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The Tom Sox defense starred, with two double plays, another two-out play on the basepaths, and a caught stealing among the highlights.
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Jack Billings, Justin Humenay, and Hunter Teplanszky made their team (or, in Humenay’s case, 2022) debuts.
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Harrisonburg’s Evan Smith tossed a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits in his nine innings. Smith is the first opposing pitcher to throw a nine-inning shutout.
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Satchell Norman was the only Tom Sox hitter to reach base multiple times, with a single and fielder’s choice.
BULLPEN LEADING THE WAY
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The ‘Sox bullpen has been lights-out over the last 4 games. They have a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings, allowing only five earned runs. Outside of Emmett Bice against Staunton on Monday, they have allowed only two earned runs.
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They have struck out 23 batters over that span.
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In comparison, opponent bullpens have a 6.57 ERA with nine earned runs, 15 walks, and 12 strikeouts over the last four games.
SPIKES IS BACK
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Georgia’s Garrett Spikes is the first 2021 returner to join the squad this summer after Georgia was eliminated from CWS contention.
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Spikes led the Tom Sox in RBI last season (24), ranked fourth in batting average (.276), scored 18 runs, and stole ten bases.
LOGAN HOPIN’ TO PRODUCE
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The Tom Sox welcome back Logan Amiss, who played for the Tom Sox in 2021.
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Last season, he finished third on the team in batting average (.297), fourth in OBP (.407), T-3rd in runs scored (21), fourth in RBI (18), and led in doubles (8) and hit by pitches (8).
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He had a strong season for VCU, hitting .267 with 41 runs, 16 doubles, 35 RBI, and 22 walks.
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Amiss is a Valley League veteran, playing for Covington and being named All-VBL in 2019. In addition to his time in Charlottesville last summer, he was signed to the team in 2020 before the season was canceled.
