CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox (1-3) will face the Staunton Braves (1-3) 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: RHP Wesley Arrington, Lynchburg
Charlottesville: RHP Bobby Olsen, Brown (0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 4 BB, 1 K)
LEADING OFF
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The Tom Sox hit the road for the third time this season to face Staunton.
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The Tom Sox are coming off a win for the first time this season after defeating Staunton 13-8 on Monday.
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After scoring just six runs in the first three games, the Tom Sox scored 13 in Monday’s game.
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After three-straight losses, the Braves are now tied with the ‘Sox for last place in the south division standings. The loser of today’s game will have sole possession of last place, while the winner will be either tied for third or in fourth place, depending on the result of tonight’s Harrisonburg game.
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Bobby Olsen will make his second start of the season for the Tom Sox after starting the season opener last Friday.
SERIES vs STAUNTON
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The Tom Sox lead the all-time series 25-19 and have won two-straight against the Braves.
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Monday’s 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.
GAVIN HAVIN’ A GOOD START
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Clemson’s Gavin Abrams has been the Tom Sox’s leading hitter through four games this season.
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Abrams is batting .364 (4-for-11) on the year with seven walks, three RBI, and a .611 OBP.
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He reached base in all five plate appearances on Monday against the Braves, with two hits, three RBI, and three walks. It was the 50th instance in Tom Sox history of a player reaching base 5+ times in a game.
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Abrams’s seven walks is tied for the most in team history in a player’s first four games. The other to do it was former player and current head coach Ramon Garza.
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.
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Against Staunton, he posted a .321 average in 7 games, knocking in five runs and scoring five.
CONSISTENT KYLE
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Old Dominion’s Kyle Edwards has been the Tom Sox’s most consistent hitter to open the season.
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Edwards has a hit in each of his first four games, the only Tom Sox player with a hit in every game thus far.
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Two of those games are multi-hit games, the only ‘Sox player with multiple multi-hit games. Both of them came against Covington.
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He hit his first double of the season in his first at-bat of the game on Monday, eventually coming around to score the game’s first run.
