CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Tom Sox swept the Cannons in their doubleheader on Sunday, increasing their win streak to five games. It was a picture-perfect Sunday for baseball in Charlottesville with hardly a cloud in the sky.
GAME 1:
The first game was high scoring with a final score of 13-6. The name of the game was errors, errors, errors for the Cannons as the ‘Sox bats stayed alive.
In the first, Satchell Norman (Florida Southwestern) hit a line drive to left center field, tagging to third shortly after. Cole Wagner (Georgia) then hit a single to right field, allowing Norman to score the first run of the game.
Purcellville scored at the top of the second after a sacrifice fly to center field with bases loaded. Shortly after, a ground rule double from Dylan Strickland scored another. Another double, this one by Justin Acal, scored two to bring the score to 4-1.
The Tom Sox certainly responded to a tough top of the second, matching the Cannons’ run output. Matthew Prevesk (Florida) started the bottom of the second with a double. Kyle Edwards (Old Dominion) was then hit by a pitch and Hunter Teplanszky (TCU) reached on an error by the first baseman. Teplanszky and Edwards were able to advance to second and third on a smart call by the Tom Sox coaches, stranding Prevesk but putting two runners in scoring position for Gavin Abrams (Clemson). Abrams reached on an error made by the Purcellville second baseman, allowing both runners to cross the plate. After a walk to Satchell Norman, Logan Amiss (VCU) reached on the third Cannons error of the inning to put two more on. Cole Wagner (Georgia) then hit an RBI single – his ninth RBI of the season in just his fourth game – to bring home Norman, retaking the lead.
After a scoreless third inning for either side, the teams traded runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. The Tom Sox’s offensive explosion, though, came in the sixth.
Prevesk led off the inning with his second double of the afternoon, and Edwards followed him with his second hit of the ballgame. An error by Purcellville’s right fielder allowed Prevesk to score and give the Tom Sox some initial insurance. After another Cannons error – this one a throwing error by catcher Brendan Roney – allowed Edwards to move to third with one out, he was quickly brought in by Abrams. An error by Purcellville’s shortstop, the sixth miscue of the game for the Cannons, brought in Teplanszky; and a bases-loaded walk to Abrams brought in Charlottesville’s eleventh run of the ballgame. The final run of the six-run sixth came on Prevesk’s second hit of the inning, which brought in Logan Amiss to lock the score at 13-6.
Braden Halladay (Tallahassee CC) made his first start of the season on the mound for Charlottesville. In two innings, he allowed five hits, four earned runs, and both struck out and walked three apiece.
Halladay was relieved by a pair of pitchers making their season debuts. First up was East Carolina’s Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, who showed his electricity straight out of super regionals. Lunsford-Shenkman got all six of his outs via strikeout, while allowing three hits and one earned run in two innings. Following Lunsford-Shenkman was fellow super regional alum Brady Kirtner (Virginia Tech), who allowed a run and struck out two in 1.2 innings.
Tayler Montiel (Mississippi State) came in to finish the game in the sixth and earned his first save of the season after allowing no Cannons to score in both the sixth and seventh innings.
GAME 2:
The Tom Sox looked to carry the high-flying momentum from game one into a second victory just 40 minutes later. Emmett Bice (College of Charleston) opened on the mound for game two and had a rocky start, walking his first three batters with 12-straight balls to open the game. However, after a visit from Pitching Coach Zach Woolard, Bice was able to slow his pace, find his rhythm, and get out of the bases-loaded jam with only one run allowed.
Charlottesville started their side of the first with much of the same, with Trey Yunger (Wofford) reaching on a leadoff walk and Garrett Spikes (Georgia) reaching on an error by the Cannons shortstop. After both Yunger and Spikes moved over a base on a passed ball, Cole Wagner hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Yunger to tag up and score the first run for the ‘Sox. John Newton (UNC Wilmington) followed with a sac fly of his own, bringing in Spikes to take the lead for the first (and only) time of the game.
Charlottesville found themselves in a pickle once again in the third after a leadoff double by Purcellville’s Mikey Brinton. With Brinton on second, Teplanszky made a diving play on a ground ball, catching the runner in a pickle and ultimately tagging him out for a fielder’s choice. Teplanszky continued his defensive prowess by turning a double play on the following batter, allowing Bice to escape unscathed.
The rest of the game played out like a classic pitcher’s duel, with the teams trading scoreless frames with the occasional hit or walk. The Tom Sox sustained their 2-1 lead for the rest of the game with innings 2-7 scoreless for both teams. After Bice was pulled after five innings, Jackson Nove (Kentucky) and Tyler McLoughlin (Emory)closed it out for the ‘Sox, with the latter striking out the side to finish Charlottesville’s fifth straight victory.
The Charlottesville Tom Sox will look to continue their winning streak on Tuesday when they travel to Waynesboro for their third matchup against the Generals. First pitch at Kate Collins Field is set for 7 P.M.
Additional Notes
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During their five-game win streak, the Tom Sox have outscored their opponents by 21 runs.
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With two wins Sunday, the Tom Sox stretched their win streak against the Cannons to eight games. They have not lost a game to Purcellville since the first week of the 2018 season.
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With two doubles in game one, Matthew Prevesk became the second straight Tom Sox player to have a two-double game after Garrett Spikes accomplished the feat on Friday.
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Over the last four games, the ‘Sox have had four innings with 5+ runs scored.
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Satchell Norman scored four runs in game one, the first ‘Sox player with a four-run game since Thomas Francisco had four against Staunton in August 2019.
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Cole Wagner now has 11 RBI in five games, the most by any ‘Sox player all-time in their first five games. For context, entering Wednesday’s game at Waynesboro, Charlottesville’s RBI leader was Julian Rojas with four – all four of which came in one game.
