HARRISONBURG, Va. – The South Division-leading Harrisonburg Turks (20-11) scored seven in the second inning and never looked back, blanking the Charlottesville Tom Sox 10-0 in eight innings. The Tom Sox fall to 18-13 on the season and now sit two games back in the race for the division title, while the Turks remain in a virtual tie for first place with the Waynesboro Generals.
The Tom Sox mustered up just four hits in the run-rule loss, the first in team history. Three of the four hits were extra-base hits, including a double by Cole Wagner (Georgia) in the sixth to increase his on-base streak to 22 games. Harrisonburg starter Evan Smith tossed seven complete innings and did not surrender a run, despite walking six batters.
Reliever Jackson Nove (Kentucky) was the highlight for Charlottesville, pitching a career-high 4.2 innings and allowing four hits, an unearned run, walking none, and striking out two. He allowed only two hits through his final four innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Harrisonburg started their scoring in the first off a leadoff walk from Sam Schner. After stealing second, Schner advanced to third and scored on 2-straight groundouts.
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The Turks broke the game wide open in the second. After a leadoff single followed by a hit by pitch and a walk, Tom Sox starter Marty Gair (UNC Wilmington) walked consecutive Turks batters to bring home the second and third runs of the contest. With the bases still loaded and one away, Mitchell Farris blasted his league-leading sixth triple of the year to clear the bases and make it 6-0. Harrisonburg was able to get two more in the inning off an RBI single from Jaylon Lee – his second hit of the inning – and a wild pitch by Gair.
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Charlottesville collected their first hit of the game in the second on a double by Trey Yunger (Wofford). After a walk to Gavin Abrams (Clemson), Yunger was caught in a rundown to end the inning.
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The Tom Sox were able to load the bases in the third with two outs after Evan Smith issued three straight walks. They were unable to capitalize, however, as Carter Cunningham (East Carolina) flew out to center to leave ‘em loaded.
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Harrisonburg scored their ninth run of the game in the sixth. After Matthew Mamatas reached on an Abrams error and advanced to second on a hit by pitch, he was able to score on a throwing error by second baseman Christian Martin (Virginia Tech).
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The Turks “walked it off” in the eighth on an RBI double by Mitchell Farris off Charlottesville reliever Braden Halladay (High Point). The double scored Sam Schner, who reached on a single a batter earlier. Harrisonburg walked off the Tom Sox for the third time in three trips to Veterans Memorial Park this season and shut them out for the second time.
UP NEXT: The Tom Sox welcome the Woodstock River Bandits to town on Saturday for two 7-inning games. The first will begin at 4 P.M. Admission is free, courtesy of Carter Bank & Trust.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
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The Tom Sox left eight men on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the third after 3-straight walks. They left runners in scoring position in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
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Charlotesville was shut out for the fifth time this season, extending the team record set earlier this year against New Market.
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Four of the five games between the Tom Sox and Turks have ended in walk-off fashion, although tonight’s was the first to be a run rule walk-off.
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Carter Cunningham hit his first triple of the season and the ‘Sox’s second overall. Both of Charlottesville’s triples this season have come in Harrisonburg.
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Marty Gair allowed eight earned runs on the night, tied for the most ever allowed by a Tom Sox pitcher.
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With a walk in the second, Satchell Norman (Florida Southwestern) reached base for the 22nd time in 23 games played.
