STAUNTON, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox (15-11) rocked the Staunton Braves (9-19) 12-4 in an offensive overload, contributing to their now-five-game win streak in their 300th all-time game.
The game started off with a bang, as Matthew Prevesk (Florida) hit a homerun clean and easy in the top of the first inning. With Bobby Olsen (Brown) back on the mound to start as well, Staunton already felt like home.
It seemed like the Tom Sox had a fire lit under them, because this was a game not only of dramatic hits, but more importantly, free bases. In the second inning, Brody Moss (Auburn) made his way to the plate after advancing on consecutive pitches after his at-bat, bringing the score to an early 3-0.
As Olsen held it down, the third inning showed even more rife opportunities for the Tom Sox. Christian Martin (Virginia Tech) kicked them off with a double, eventually scoring on a wild pitch, along with Carter Cunningham (East Carolina) also hitting for a double to add to his team-leading batting average of .533.
The tides started turning as Tom Sox arms were seeming tired and the score tied up 4-4, but luckily, the ‘Sox’s very own submariner John Armstrong (Auburn) strong-armed his way back into the graces of the baseball gods. After Armstrong closed out the inning with his first two batters, it started raining, both drops and baseballs as Prevesk had himself a day. He hit second extra-base hit of the night, sending Garrett Spikes (Georgia) home on a double. But Cunningham was also there to get his share as he doubled to send Prevesk home, making the score 6-4 and ending the 4th through 6th-inning stalemate.
The game was also catcher Kalvin Alexander’s (Florida Southwestern) second Tom Sox start and he reached base for the first time with the ‘Sox. So, like all good teammates do, Spikes singled to send Alexander to third. But, of course, Martin had to give Alexander an even warmer welcome and hit a home run that sent all of them home, chalking up the score to 9-4. By the end of the inning, Armstrong preserved his clean ERA and Martin joined the homer club with Satchell Norman (Florida Southwestern) and Cole Wagner (Georgia). The three lead the team with two home runs each under their belt.
With a little more magic and help from pitcher Jack Billings (Coastal Carolina) and his luscious locks waving in the rainy mist, the ‘Sox added a few more runs to the board and shut the Braves down – ending with a Billings strikeout. Talk about a picture-perfect ending.
The Tom Sox will hope to salvage a rainy day against Harrisonburg on Saturday (July 9). It is bark in the park night, with dogs invited out to the ballpark for a fun night of baseball. First pitch is at 7 P.M., with free admission sponsored by Carter Bank & Trust.
Additional Notes
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Christian Martin collected his second four-hit night of the summer in only his ninth game.
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Every Tom Sox player reached base for the third consecutive contest.
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The ‘Sox scored in double-digits for the third straight game.
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Charlottesville’s 13 hits are tied for the second-most in a game this summer.
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The Tom Sox won at John Moxie Stadium for the first time this summer and are now 3-2 against the Braves on the season. They will face off in a make-up game in Staunton on Monday.
