All Things Valley League

Day 22, June 29: Results and Players of the Day

Four games last night:

Results

Woodstock 9, New Market 3
Winchester 6, Haymarket 5 (3rd win in 2 days for the Royals over the Senators)
Luray 8, Front Royal 7
Covington 5, Staunton 4

Hitter of the Day

AJ Wirnsberger, Luray, from Georgia Southern. AJ went 5-5, with a run, 3 RBI, and a double against Front Royal. AJ is now hitting 389/421/519 in 54 at-bats for the Wranglers, who now have the best record in the Valley League.

Others of Note

Sanchez Gartman, New Market, from USC Sumter: 3-5, run, RBI, double
Steven Sabins, Winchester, from Oklahoma State: 3-5, RBI, double
Greg Hopkins, Haymarket, from St. John's: 2-4, 4 RBI, walk, double, triple
Drew Martinez, Luray, from Memphis: 3-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, walk, 2 doubles, stolen base

Pitcher of the Day

Andrew Armstrong, Luray, from Ohio State. Andrew threw 7 innings against Front Royal, allowing 2 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 3 walks, and striking out 9 while earning the win. Andrew's now 1-0, 3.86, with 12 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings so far this year.

Other of Note

Josh McQuade, Staunton, from Shepherd: 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 run (earned), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Tonight's Games

Covington vs Rockbridge
Fauquier vs Haymarket
Winchester vs Front Royal
Harrisonburg vs Woodstock
New Market vs Luray
Waynesboro vs Staunton   

Day 21, June 28: Results and Players of the Day

A season-high 7 games were played last night, due to a double-header between Winchester and Haymarket.

Results

Winchester 3, Haymarket 2
Winchester 11, Haymarket 8
Waynesboro 4, Rockbridge 0
Harrisonburg 5, Luray 4- 11 innings
Front Royal 8, Fauquier 4
New Market 6, Woodstock 5
Covington 9, Staunton 5- the Jacks scored 8 in the 8th inning

Hitter of the Day

Anthony Ottrando, Front Royal, from Eastern Kentucky. Anthony went 3-4, with 2 runs, 2 RBI, a walk, double, home run, and stolen base. A little of everything. Ottrando has played in 2 games so far for the Cardinals; he's hitting 667/700/1.222 in 9 at-bats. Quite the start! (And what a tiny picture!)

Others of Note

AJ Kirby-Jones, Waynesboro, from Tennessee Tech: 3-4, 2 runs, double
Ryan Matthews, Waynesboro, from NC State: 3-4, run, RBI
Sam Greenberg, Haymarket, from Southern Connecticut State: 2-3, run, 4 RBI, double, home run
Robert Maddox, Winchester, from Ohio: 2-3, 2 runs, 6 RBI, triple, home run
Bobby Brown, Harrisonburg, from Arizona: 3-4, 2 runs, RBI, 2 walks, double
Kenny Mickens, New Market, from LA City: 3-3, RBI, 2 doubles, 2 HBP
Zak Messer, New Market, from Walters State CC: 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, triple, stolen base

Pitcher of the Day

Ricky Marshall, Waynesboro, from Austin Peay. Ricky shut out the hard-hitting Rockbridge Rapids for 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 7. He earned a game score of 70. Ricky is now 3-1, 4.42, with 21 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings this year.

Others of Note

Brandon Sinnery, Winchester, from Michigan: 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run (unearned), 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Andrew Moye, Luray, from Georgia Southern: 5 shutout innings, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts
Aaron Luctherhand, Harrisonburg, from Redlands CC: 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (earned), 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Chris Sorce, Harrisonburg, from Troy: 3 shutout innings, 0 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, the win vs. Luray
Eric Alessio, New Market, from Marist: 6 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
Corey Polizzano, Staunton, from Florida International: 6 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 1 run (earned), 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

Tonight's Games

(These are all rain make-up games)

New Market vs Woodstock                 
Winchester vs Haymarket   
Front Royal vs Luray        
Staunton vs Covington

Power Rankings: Week Three

Here is our third attempt at ranking the VBL teams. The stats, in order: record, runs scored and runs allowed, (record since the last power rankings), and change from last week. Let's get right to it:

1. Staunton: 12-4, 125-76 (5-2), no change: 6 regulars hitting over .300, outscoring opponents by 49

2. Luray: 11-4, 97-71 (6-1), no change: coming fast- 5 wins in a row

3. Harrisonburg: 9-7, 83-68 (3-3), no change: allowed 2nd least runs in the league

4. Fauquier: 9-8, 84-69 (4-3), up 2: hitting .235 as a team, but ERA is 3.64

5. Haymarket: 9-7, 67-63 (4-3), up 3: Greg Hopkins rolling along at 455/500/682

6. Waynesboro: 10-8, 99-99 (3-4), down 2: committed 39 errors in 18 games

7. Woodstock: 8-8, 63-75 (4-4), up 3: Ian Marshall leads a dynamite staff

8. New Market: 8-10, 94-90 (4-4), up 1: Eric Alessio has 3 of those 8 wins

9. Winchester: 7-10, 112-125 (4-2), up 2: Scored 2nd most runs, but also given up the 2nd most

10. Front Royal: 8-10, 82-99 (2-5), down 3: Steve McQuail on pace to hit almost 20 home runs

11. Covington: 5-11, 88-106 (1-7), down 6: Tough week for the 'Jacks

12. Rockbridge: 4-13, 90-143 (3-5), no change: Alan Watts helping to settle down bullpen

Day 20, June 27: Results and Players of the Day

Bats went nuts last night- 67 runs were scored in 6 games. Ten players had three hits; three had four. The choices for hitter of the day were legion!

Results

Harrisonburg 7, Waynesboro 0
Rockbridge 13, Winchester 11
front Royal 8, Covington 5
Fauquier 6, New Market 1
Staunton 5, Haymarket 2
Luray 5, Woodstock 4

Hitter of the Day

Alex Haitsuka, Luray, from VMI. Alex went 3-3, with 2 runs, 2 RBI, and 2 home runs, which separated him from the pack of hitters. Alex is hitting 290/405/484 in 31 at-bats on the year so far.

Others of Note (deep breath!)

Victor Croglio, Harrisonburg, from Richmond: 3-3
Gabriel Ortiz, Winchester, from Vanderbilt: 3-5, run, 4 RBI, double, stolen base
Sam Roberts, Rockbridge, from VMI: 2-4, 2 runs, RBI, 2 walks, 2 stolen bases
Graham Sullivan, Rockbridge, from VMI: 3-6, 3 runs, 3 RBI, double, stolen base
Brian DeLucia, Rockbridge, from Ohio State: 4-6, 2 runs, 4 RBI
Joe Witkowski, Rockbridge, from St. John's: 3-5, run, stolen base
Anthony Ottrando, Front Royal, from Eastern Kentucky: 2 runs, double, stolen base
Kevin Krantz, Front Royal, from Michigan: 3-5, 3 RBI, double
Sherman Johnson, Covington, from Florida State: 4-5, run, 3 RBI
Jordan Erisman, Fauquier, from North Georgia: 3-4, run, 2 RBI, double
Anders Oster, Fauquier, from North Georgia: 3-4, 3 RBI, double
Todd Brazeal, Staunton, from South Florida: 3-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, home run
Greg Hopkins, Haymarket, from St. John's: 4-5, run, RBI

Pitcher of the Day

Kyle Putnam, Fauquier, from Marist. Kyle shut down the New Market Rebels, allowing only 2 hits, 1 run (earned), 5 walks, and striking out 7. He's now 2-0, 1.19, in 22 2/3 innings this season.

Others of Note

Ali Simpson, Harrisonburg, from Bethune-Cookman: 5 shutout innings, 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, the win vs. Waynesboro
Robert Nixon, Front Royal, from Adelphi: 6 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, the win vs. Covington
Nick Markel, Covington, from Franklin & Marshall: 3 shutout innings, 2 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Michael Garza, Woodstock, from Stanford: 7 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs (earned), 0 walks, 7 strikeouts
Drew Rucinski, Luray, from Ohio State: 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Harrison Slutsky, Staunton, from Columbia: 3 shutout innings, 2 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, the save vs. Haymarket

Tonight's Games

Haymarket vs Winchester, DH 4:00, 7:00 PM       
Luray vs. Harrisonburg
Rockbridge vs Waynesboro
Fauquier vs Front Royal
Woodstock vs New Market
Covington vs Staunton

Coming up next: Power Rankings...

Day 19, June 26: Results and Players of the Day

Results

Staunton 7, Waynesboro 6
Haymarket 3, Fauquier 1
Woodstock 9, Covington 2
Luray 7, Winchester 2
New Market 15, Rockbridge 5
Harrisonburg 5, Front Royal 3

Hitter of the Day

Richard Gonzalez, New Market, from VCU. Richard went 3-6, with a run, 5 RBI, a double, triple, and stolen base. He's hitting 393/460/518 in 56 at-bats. It's safe to say that he's hitting well.

Others of Note

Chris Clinton, Staunton, from Eckerd: 3-4, run, 2 RBI, double, 2 stolen bases
Junior Arrojo, Covington, from Florida International: 3-4, stolen base
Jonathan Koscso, Woodstock, from South Florida: 4-5, 3 runs
AJ Wirnsberger, Luray, from Georgia Southern: 3-5, run, 2 RBI, stolen base
Seth Kivett, New Market, from UNC Pembroke: 3-5, 2 runs, walk, double
Kevin Rufus, New Market, from USC Sumter: 2-3, 4 runs, RBI, 2 walks, hit-by-pitch

Pitcher of the Day

Aaron Swenson, Staunton, from Youngstown State. Aaron threw 8 solid innings against Waynesboro, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 2 walks, and striking out 8. He's now 3-0, 1.27 in 28 1/3 innings on the year. He may be the frontrunner for top pitcher in the league right now...

Others of Note

Robert Sabo, Waynesboro, from Kent State: 4 shutout innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Matt Benedict, Haymarket, from Western Carolina: 7 innings, 6 hits, 1 run (earned), 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, the win vs. Fauquier
Jake Brown, Luray, from Georgia Southern: 5 innings, 4 hits, 1 run (unearned), 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, the win vs. Winchester
Jeff DeCarlo, Front Royal, from Michigan: 3 shutout innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Drew Granier, Harrisonburg, from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC: 6 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, the win vs. Front Royal

Maxwell Fires No-Hitter

Thanks to an email from a brilliant reader, a fantastic feat was brought to my attention.

Levi Maxwell (Waynesboro 06) threw a 7-inning no-hitter on June 19th against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. It was the first no-hitter in the Carolina League in three years, and the first for the Winston-Salem Dash in nine years.

Levi finished the game with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. After struggling through his first 10 games in 2009, he's now given up only 1 earned run and 9 baserunners in his last 13 innings.

Well done, Levi!

Here is an article on the no-hitter, which includes several quotes from the former General.

Day 18, June 25: Results and Players of the Day

Thursday's games...

Results

Harrisonburg 6, Rockbridge 1
Luray 5, Waynesboro 3
Fauquier 11, Woodstock 4
Front Royal 6, New Market 5
Haymarket 8, Covington 2
Winchester 8, Staunton 5

Player of the Day

Steve McQuail, Front Royal, from Canisius. Steve went 3-4, with 2 runs, 3 RBI, a double, home run, sacrifice fly, and stolen base.Steve is hitting 323/318/692 in 65 at-bats, with 18 runs, 7 home runs, and 12 RBIs. Quite a good start!

Others of Note

Jack Posey, Harrisonburg, from Florida State: 3-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double, home run
Pablo Bermudez, Luray, from Florida International: 3-5, run, RBI, double
Chad Oberacker, Fauquier, from Tennessee Tech: 4-6, 2 runs, 2 RBI
Ben Burgess, Fauquier, from Tennessee Tech: 3-5, run, 2 RBI, double, sacrifice fly
Matt Blow, Woodstock, from Virginia Tech: 4-4, 2 RBI
Greg Van Sickler, Front Royal, from Shenandoah: 3-5
Greg Hopkins, Haymarket, from St. John's: 3-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double, home run
John Dishon, Staunton, from LSU: 4-5, run, 2 RBI
Bobby Rauh, Winchester, from Daytona State: 2-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI, home run, HBP, 3 stolen bases

Pitcher of the Day

Grant Sasser, Haymarket, from NC State. Grant shut down Covington last night, allowing 2 hits, 1 run (unearned), 1 walk, and striking out 6 in 7 2/3 innings pitched. Grant is now 2-0, 1.35 in 20 innings on the year so far.

Others of Note

Rayan Gonzales, Harrisonburg,from Bethune Cookman: 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run (earned), 1 walk, 9 strikeouts, the win vs. Rockbridge
Adrian Puig, Luray, from South Florida: 6 innings, 1 hit, 1 run (earned), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, the win vs. Waynesboro
Mike Hernandez, Waynesboro, from Butler: 6 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, the loss vs. Luray
David Gibson, Staunton, from Bluefield: 5 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

(Pic of Sasser courtesy of Haymarket Joe)

Masters Makes Excellent Pro Debut

One of the coolest things about the Valley League, and let's face it, there are thousands of things that are cool, is when host families get to know their assigned players well over the course of the summer, and end up following them throughout their pro careers.

Then if the draft is kind to the players, that gives the host families even more to celebrate.

Take the Dodge family, for example. In 2008, they hosted Florida's Mike Mooney, and Western Carolina's Chris Masters in 2007. Both players were drafted in the 2009 draft: Mooney in the 23rd round by the Baltimore Orioles, and Masters in the 11th round by the Atlanta Braves.

The Dodges were on hand to witness Masters' pro debut for Danville on June 23rd. Chris did not disappoint: he threw 3 2/3 shutout innings, allowing 0 hits, 0 walks, and striking out 8. He earned the win against Pulaski.

Hosting a player is an easy way to get involved with the league, and a possible chance to follow a young man as he makes the long trek to the major leagues!

Here are three pictures Melissa sent my way:

Masters on the mound


Charlie, Chris, Noah, and Melissa


Masters again ready to fire

One last thing: here is an article that mentions Chris's start!

Day 17, June 24: Results and Players of the Day

Annnnnddddddd, from last night:

Results

Fauquier 4, Harrisonburg 3
Winchester 16, Front Royal 9
Luray 2, Haymarket 0
Staunton 11, New Market 3
Waynesboro 14, Covington 2
Woodstock 6, Rockbridge 0

Player of the Day

Tony Caldwell, Waynesboro, from Auburn. Tony went 3-5, with 3 runs, 5 RBI, 2 home runs, and a stolen base against Covington. Tony is now hitting 377/435/557 in 61 at-bats. It sure seems like his bat is one of the most important in the Generals' lineup.

Others of Note

Greg Van Sickler, Front Royal, from Shenandoah: 4-5, 2 runs, RBI
Dave Fallon, Winchester, from St. John's: 4-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, walk, double, triple
Kevin Garcia, Winchester, from Montevallo: 3-3, run, 5 RBI, 2 SF
Scott VanDusseldorp, Haymarket, from Shenandoah: 3-4
Kent Burford, Staunton, from JMU: 3-5, run, 2 stolen bases
Kenny Mickens, New Market, from LA City: 3-5
Cory Kovanda, Waynesboro, from Ohio State: 4-5, 4 runs, walk
Jairo Acevado, Covington, from Bethune Cookman: 3-4, run
Jonathan Koscso, Woodstock, from South Florida: 3-5, 3 runs, 2 doubles

Pitcher of the Day

Heath Hatfield, Woodstock, from Memphis. Heath threw one of the best games of the year so far, as he shut out Rockbridge, going 9 full innings and allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 10.

Others of Note

DJ Swatscheno, Luray, from an unknown place and time: 3 2/3 shutout innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Ben Alsup, Luray, from LSU: 3 1/3 shutout innings, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, the win against Haymarket
Kevin Johnson, Haymarket, from West Florida: 7 1/3 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (earned), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, the loss vs. Luray
Jay Lively, New Market, from George Washington: 4 shutout innings, 3 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts

Tonight's Schedule

Harrisonburg vs Rockbridge                 

Luray vs Waynesboro            

Fauquier vs Woodstock        

New Market vs Front Royal        

Covington vs Haymarket            

Winchester vs Staunton

Day 16, June 23: Results and Players of the Day

Once again, I find myself two days behind. The Valley League just churns along, even if I'm out of town.  So let's work on Tuesday's games first:

Results

Waynesboro 5, Woodstock 3
Winchester 7, Harrisonburg 4
Luray 15, Fauquier 6
Haymarket 6, Front Royal 4
New Market 8, Covington 5
Staunton 10, Rockbridge 1

Player of the Day

Chris Clinton, Staunton, from Eckerd. He went 2-5, with 2 runs, 4 RBI, a double and a home run. Chris is a main cog in the Braves' awesome lineup- he's hitting 375/419/525 in 40 at-bats so far this year (stats through June 24).

Others of Note

Ben Burgess, Fauquier, from Tennessee Tech: 3-4, 2 runs
Pablo Bermudez, Luray, from Florida International: 3-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double, and home run
Drew Martinez, Luray, from Memphis: 4-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, walk, stolen base
Tyler Engle, Luray, from Ohio State: 3-4, 2 runs, RBI, walk, 2 doubles
Michael Demma, Haymarket, from Florida Tech: 3-3, 3 RBI, walk, sacrifice fly
Alex McClure, Waynesboro, from Vanderbilt: 3-5, run, 2 RBI, stolen base

Pitcher of the Day

Shane Pysh, Staunton, from Radford. Shane threw 8 innings against Rockbridge, typically a very good hitting team, and allowed 7 hits, 1 run (it was unearned), 0 walks, and 1 strikeout. He upped his record to 2-0.

Others of Note

Andy Altemus, Waynesboro, from West Virginia: 7 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, the win against Woodstock
Matt Brazis, Winchester, from Boston College: 3 1/3 shutout innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, the win against Harrisonburg
Brandon Sinnery, Winchester, from Michigan: 5 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 1 walk, 7 strikeouts
Jeff DeCarlo, Front Royal, from Michigan: 3 shutout innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
Andrew Moye, Luray, from Georgia Southern: 6 innings, 6 hits, 3 run (earned), 0 walks, 7 strikeouts, the win against Fauquier