All Things Valley League

Waynesboro, Luray Top Vienna

On a day when the best in the major leagues gathered to play a game in New York, a different group of highly touted players gathered in Luray, Virginia, for a different sort of All-Star doubleheader.

In an unprecedented matchup of three of the top summer league teams in the nation, the Vienna Senators of the Clark Griffith League traveled to Luray to play a doubleheader against the two best teams in the Valley League, the Waynesboro Generals and Luray Wranglers. Vienna is ranked #1 in the nation by PG Crosschecker, while Luray is #5, and Waynesboro is #11.

Initiated by Vienna 8 days ago, the Wrangler ownership and volunteers worked feverishly to prepare for the event. "I'm blessed with the best volunteers in the world," said Luray owner Bill Turner before the games. "It's been a lot of work, but we're ready. We're feeding all the teams barbecue chicken; everyone's getting fed, it's just going to be a fun day. The competition is going to be great, but this is all fun. This is the true meaning of summer league- a fun day."

Game One: Vienna vs. Waynesboro

The buzzword for game one was "pitching." By the end of the regulation 9 innings, not a single run had crossed the plate. The starters, Vienna's Ryan Wooley (Georgia) and Waynesboro's Daniel Bradshaw (LSU), combined for 12 shutout innings, and allowed only 9 hits, 0 walks, and struck out 11. The closest either team came to scoring was in the 3rd inning, when the Senator's Nick Boullosa (Tulane) was thrown out at the plate by third baseman Evan Webb (Tennessee Tech).

In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Generals struck pay dirt. Austin Morgan (Charleston) reached on an error, and pinch runner Michael Parker (Wingate) moved to second on a groundout. At this point, Valley League fans got their first glimpse of Vienna's rather large closer, Jimmy Duggan (George Washington), who stands 6 foot 7. Duggan struck out the first batter he faced, but then in stepped Derek Hamblen (Belmont). Derek smacked a fastball to the fence in left center field, scoring Parker and setting off a Generals celebration on the field after the 1-0 victory. Hamblen said of his hit, "I was just looking for a pitch to hit. I got my chance and was fortunate to take advantage."

After the game, Bradshaw summed up his performance on the mound. "It felt like I was really in a groove tonight. Everything was working for me. I was able to locate my fastball, and my changeup helped me get out of trouble," he said. "It means a lot [to win against the #1 team]. To beat them is a really big accomplishment."

Eric Cantrell (George Washington) was the losing pitcher, even though he did not give up a single hit in 4 1/3 innings, while striking out 5. Jake Cowan (Virginia) received the win after a shutout inning of relief.

Vienna was led at the plate by Seth Henry (Tulane), who went 3-4, all infield singles to shortstop. Juan Mujica (Southern) added two singles. Waynesboro was led by Morgan, who had two singles.

While the game was a nice win, Waynesboro Coach Lawrence Nesselrodt had some other things on his mind as well. "It's certainly exciting, and our guys have tried to maintain the focus of playing every game like it was against the #1 team. It's that competitive a league. Our goal is to make the playoffs, number one, and number two is to win our division. This is the kind of momentum we needed. Hopefully we can catch the momentum and continue [playing well]."

Game Two: Vienna vs. Luray

If "pitching" was the buzzword from the first game, then "home runs" would have to describe the second, as a total of 6 round trippers were hit in the game.

If "home runs" wouldn't work, then we would have to go with "Jeff Jefferson." Jefferson, a true freshman from Liberty, was the standout performer on the night, as he went 3-4, with 3 runs and 3 RBI and 2 of the 6 home runs, a 2-run shot in the third, and a solo shot in the 8th. "I'm trying to hit back up the middle," he said. "I've been pulling off a lot, but tonight I felt pretty good." (Jefferson is also a tremendously polite young man- he was noticed helping the opposing catcher with his gear during the game.)

Luray leaped out to a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning when Austin Markel (West Virginia) started the onslaught of home runs with a bullet to right center field. The score jumped to 4-0 in the 3rd after a Chris Rey (South Florida) sacrifice fly and Jefferson's first home run. The Wranglers put the game away when CJ Lauriello (Miami-Dade) battled back from an 0-2 count to hit a full-count fastball for a 3-run home run to make the score 8-0 in the 5th.

Vienna battled back to 8-3 in the 6th, when pinch-hitter Matt Goulas (Louisiana-Lafayette) hit the first pitch he saw for a three-run home run, but the Wranglers tacked on 4 more runs in the 8th with 2 walks and 4 hits for a final score of 12-4.

The Wrangler's Donald Jordat (Miami-Dade) received the win after throwing 5 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits and 0 walks, while striking out 7. Vienna's Richard Cary (Marist) received the loss.

Vienna's standout hitters were Seth Henry, who went 2-3, giving him 5 hits on the day, and Goulas with the pinch hit home run. Luray was led by Jefferson and AJ Wirnsberger (Georgia Southern), who went 2-4 with a home run and 2 RBI.

While the games were just "exhibitions" and won't count in the standings for either league, it is believed that this is the first time that top teams from two different leagues got together to play, by choice nonetheless, to see how they match up. While it's unclear how the games might affect PG Crosschecker's rankings, the most likely outcome is that all three teams will be better for the experience.

Pictures from July 11

David DePotter, father of Waynesboro's Evan DePotter, came through with some more excellent pictures from the July 11th tilt between Waynesboro and Harrisonburg. Enjoy:

                                                           Matt Chaffee

                                                      Gabriel Saade out at the plate- barely

Turks fans

Michael Precise

Grant Buckner, I believe

Greg Meleski, held on by Michael Precise

Thanks, Mr. DePotter!

More Pictures from Waynesboro

David DePotter, Waynesboro parent (Evan), sent me some excellent pictures from Tuesday night's game. Here is a sampling:

                               
                                                           Adam Liberatore
                               
                                                               Ryan Adams
                               
                                                                Gabriel Saade
                                  
                                                               Evan DePotter
                                  
                                                             Austin Morgan
                                  
                                                              Daniel Wiltz
                                  
                                                             Liberatore again

Thank you, Mr. DePotter!

Game Report: Covington vs. Waynesboro, July 8

What an evening! I've met some wonderful people along the way this season, but last night was something else altogether.  First of all, my daughters and I made the trek to Waynesboro with Jerry Carter and his daughter Rebecca (and dog, Diamond). The drive went much faster listening to stories of the Valley League!  (and Rebecca did a wonderful job entertaining my kids!) Then, at the park, I met the following people:

• Generals Sign Guy Mike- for the first time! I really enjoyed talking Generals baseball with Mike during the game.

• The Waynesboro Superfans! We sat almost right in the middle of these folks- and they are the loudest, possibly most passionate fans in the league (besides Haymarket Joe, of course!).

• Mary McDermott stopped by to say hello with amazing timing- just as I was sloppy with nacho cheese! Mary is a Generals hostparent and regular reader of ATVL.

• Waynesboro PA guy, Brian Lundstrom. Brian also teaches English- to 8th graders, while I teach 9th graders. That means our days are most likely rather similar... trying to teach immature kids to write a composition, and then grading them all....

• Waynesboro owner Jim Critzer. Jim was enjoying watching the game from outside the lines, after his high school team had a very successful season.

• I met two dads- David Depotter (son Evan plays for Waynesboro), and Mr. Andrews (still didn't get his first name! His son Robbie pitches for Covington. (I also met him Sunday at the All-Star game)).

• I got a chance to talk to a few players after the game: Gabriel Saade and Adam Liberatore. I also spoke with both coaches- both really good guys and, in my opinion, excellent managers- Lawrence Nesselrodt and Andy Chalot.

Whew! No wonder I was worn out! (Sorry if I've missed anyone- no offense intended!)

The Game

This game summary begins with one name: Adam Liberatore. Before the game, Covington's Andy Chalot, said he was glad they were facing Adam, arguably the best pitcher in the league so far, as it would give them a good test of where their offense is at this point in the season. Well, I suppose they found out.

Liberatore gave up a leadoff single on the first pitch of the game to Rico Noel, but he quickly settled down and retired the next 13 batters in a row. He was throwing with pop and location, inducing ground ball after ground ball. He ran into some trouble in the 6th inning, allowing a one-out walk and single, but he escaped that jam with a ground out and fly out. He gave up only one run, in the 7th, when JJ Muse blistered a 3-2 fastball in the gap in right center field, and flopped into third with a triple. He came in to score on a Derrick Washington groundout. Liberatore ended up throwing 7 2/3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 run (earned), and striking out 5. Of his game, Adam said, "I didn't have my curveball going, which is normally my best pitch. I was able to mix it up, throwing my fastball and mixing in some sinkers to keep them off balance. Got a win- that's all that matters." Indeed.

To finish the game on the mound, Evan Depotter got the last out in the 8th, and Daniel Wiltz threw the ninth to finish off the Lumberjacks, raising Waynesboro's record to 20-9 and dropping the 'Jacks to 16-12.

On the offensive side, the Generals pounded out 13 hits and scored 9 runs, giving Liberatore plenty of run support.  Gabriel Saade, Grant Buckner, Chris Enourato, Austin Morgan, and Derek Hamblen all had two hits. The Generals scored 2 in the first, 2 in the second, 1 in the fourth, 1 in the 7th, and added 3 in the 8th to achieve a final score of 9-2.

At this point in the season, Waynesboro looks like one of the top two teams in the league. They played loose and well, both swinging the bat and fielding the ball. As for Covington, I hope to see them again, maybe against a pitcher who isn't Adam Liberatore.

Observations

• This is how well Liberatore has thrown this year: he came into the game with a 0.73 ERA. After giving up 1 run in 7 2/3 innings, his ERA actually went UP to 0.81. Wow.

• The nicknames! The Superfans have nicknames for every single Waynesboro player, and they have prescribed chants for each guy, like the Cameron Crazies! Their nicknames go from Ryan "Chilly" Adams, to Grant "G-Buc" Buckner, to Greg "Whoa, Melly!" Meleski. Every team should be so lucky to have a rabid core like these guys!

• Gabriel Saade impresses me every time I see him. He is very smooth at shortstop, and he seems to hit the ball hard every single time up. He's 11-23 in 6 games so far! I wasn't surprised to hear that he started the summer in the Cape Cod League, but was the last cut from the Bourne Braves. His coach made some calls, and hooked Gabriel up with Waynesboro. The Generals and the league are better for it!  (Maybe the league can get a few more Duke players in forthcoming years?)

• I loved Raphael Turner's smile. Liberatore threw a curveball over Raphael's head, and Turner just smiled...

• To see Generals Sign Guy Mike's writeup on the game, click here!  Mike is writing summaries of Waynesboro games for Jerry over at my sister station, Around the Valley in 60 Days.

• Rebecca's version of the "Cotton-Eyed Joe" dance in the 8th inning was hilarious! I couldn't convince a daughter to join her...

• An update on transactions: Waynesboro's Brandon Sizemore is healing, and is expected back. Jacke Healey, who just competed in the home run derby in the All-Star game, has left the team.  Coach Chalot and the Lumberjacks are hoping to get a few pitchers back and healthy, which will make them a tough out by the end of the season!

Thanks to all for making this a great evening!

Here are a few shots from my 8-year old daughter, Anisa (more pictures coming from other sources today!):

                                 
                                         Marcus Nidiffer, returning ball to John Durham
                               
                                                     Anisa's favorite picture
                               
                                                    Rebecca's normal pose

Game Report: Haymarket vs. Woodstock, July 7

Last night I stumbled upon a game in Woodstock.

I knew there was a game in Harrisonburg, but the rains came early and often, postponing that one.  Then the phone rang- it was Haymarket Joe, explaining that his pictures won't be available until later because he was on his way to Woodstock. "What for?" I asked, like an idiot.  "It's our 4th attempt to play this game!" he answered.

That settled it; I was on my way north just a few minutes later.

The game was a study in contrasts (sort of): the first 6 innings were completed in an hour, but the last 3 took an hour and a half. That was partially due to the fact that the pitching was amazingly effective: the first walk wasn't given up until the top of the 7th. There weren't many strikeouts, either- it just so happened that most of the balls in play went directly to a fielder.

Anyway, Haymarket struck first, scoring 2 in the 4th inning off River Bandit Kirby St. John. Joe Conforti (still sleepy from All-Star day travels) and Scott Krieger singled to lead off the inning, and then each came home on a sacrifice fly: one each by Chris Dubon and David Herbek.

Woodstock tied the game in the 6th on a normal play, then a not-so-normal play. First, Brooks Robinson and Kory Hollensteiner singled and were sacrificed to second and third by Adelberto Santos. Mark Goforth singled Robinson home on the normal play. The next play was fun- Goforth took off for second on a steal attempt, and when Haymarket catcher Doc Neiman Chris Dubon threw to second, Hollensteiner took off for home. Both runners were safe, with Hollensteiner pulling off the rare steal of home.

Haymarket went ahead in the 7th when David Herbek singled, was sacrificed to second by Wayne Miller, and scored on a Stephen Ballard single. The Senators made it 4-2 in the 8th when Herbek, once again in the thick of things, was hit in the foot with a pitch while attempting to suicide squeeze with the bases loaded, scoring Joe Conforti.

Woodstock trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the 8th when Hollensteiner led off with a high arcing triple down the right field line, and Santos followed with a single up the middle. Haymarket added a run in the 9th to cushion the lead, and Grant Sasser closed the game in the 9th.

Both starters threw well, Weston Szymanski for the Senators, and Kirby St. John for the River Bandits. Haymarket raised its record to 10-16, while the River Bandits fell to 11-16.

Observations

• I got a chance to sit with Woodstock's official scorer, Gordon Lambert, who showed me how the official program works. Fun stuff! (Wish I could score like that at home!)

• I also visited with Woodstock reliever Gary Kahn for a while early on- watch for an interview with Gary over the next week or so!

• David Herbek was in the middle of everything for Haymarket. He went 1-1, with a run, 2 RBIs, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. He was directly involved with 3 of the Senators' 5 runs.

• I ending up chatting with Jerry Carter for close to an hour after the game. Remember to head over to Jerry's site to catch up on the Around the Valley updates!

• I would give Herbek the hitter of the day award, and Szymanski, who went 7 innings and allowed 5 hits, 2 runs (earned), 0 walks, and struck out 3, the pitcher of the day.

All-Star Festivities

Sunday afternoon, July 6, I took the trip to Covington along with approximately 55 players, 11 coaches, 8 scouts, and a few hundred fans to watch the Valley League All-Star game.

Under threatening skies, the teams began batting practice at 4:00, but the clouds began dumping rain, and then a lightning strike put everything on hold for a while.

After a 30 minute delay, all the scouts lined up to time the players in the 60-yard dash. The players went two at a time, after Waynesboro Coach Nesselrodt called out each player's name. (This was tougher than I thought! I figured I would get the time for each player and report it here, but numbers varied hugely, and I could only get the time for the fastest runner in each pair. Did other people have two timers, one for each runner? Weird.)  The fastest time, by an wide margin, was turned in by Woodstock's Adelberto Santos, who ran a 6.35 (by my watch).

Next up was the home run derby. (Something I know I can keep track of!) The top 12 home run hitters in the league were involved. Each hitter received 10 outs in the 1st and 2nd round, and then 7 outs in the finals. (An out was anything that did not clear the fence.)  The players clearly needed to get warmed up, because there were only 13 home runs hit in the entire first round!  Here were the results in the first:

1. Kevin Dietrich, New Market: 2
2. Jacke Healey, Waynesboro: 2
3. Drew Johnson, Harrisonburg: 1
4. Evan Webb, Waynesboro: 0
5. Mickey Wiswall, Winchester: 0
6. Marcus Nidiffer, Covington: 1
7. Landon Camp, Harrisonburg: 0
8. Cory Johnson, Luray: 2
9. Adam McClain, Luray: 2
10. Michael Precise, Harrisonburg: 0
11. Jeff Jefferson, Luray: 2
12. Tyler Townsend, Winchester: 1

The five players with 2 moved on to the second round:

1. Kevin Dietrich: 1
2. Jacke Healey: 4
3. Cory Johnson: 0
4. Adam McClain: 3
5. Jeff Jefferson: 6

That left Jefferson and Healey to battle it out with just 7 outs:

1. Healey: 1
2. Jefferson: 2 (Although he hit the 2 in his first three swings, and went on to add another)

Our home run derby champion: Jeff Jefferson!

Then we watched the game, which didn't start until almost 8:00.

The South scored in he first inning off Travis Smink, stringing three singles together, the last by Marcus Nidiffer to drive in Max Most. The North tied it up at one in the 3rd when Tyler Townsend hit a monster home run into the stands in dead center field.

The Yankees (North) scored two more in the 4th on a Jesse Henry single and Mickey Wiswall sacrifice fly to center, but the Rebels (South) immediately tied it (in what would become a theme) in the bottom of the inning on a booming Nidiffer home run to left center. The North scored 2 more in the 7th on a Haymarket connection, when Tripp Swann walked and Joe Conforti lined a home run to right field (more on Conforti later).

The score stayed 5-3 until the bottom of the ninth, when the South rallied against Winchester closer Tyler Thornburg. Mark Dvoroznak singled to lead off the inning, and JJ Muse and Drew Johnson followed with walks to load the bases. After an out, Michael Precise singled, collecting his 4th hit of the night, into right field to tie the game. When Nidiffer and Donovan Huffer both flied out to right field, the game ended in a 5-5 tie, evoking memories of Bud Selig hopelessly shrugging when the Major League All-Star game ended early a few years ago.  No one that I could tell was upset about this one, though! Everyone seemed to have a good time, and the rain that was such a problem early on blew over to leave a nice cool evening. All that was left was the long ride home!

Observations

• The Most Outstanding Player for the North was Joe Conforti, while the South's was Marcus Nidiffer.

• Conforti had a very, very busy day. He began the morning attending a wake in Staten Island, New York. He left Staten Island that same morning on a Greyhound bus to Washington DC, where his host dad picked him up and took him directly to Haymarket's field, where he was picked up by Haymarket Joe to drive down to Covington for the game. Then in the game, Joe, who has 0 home runs in the season so far, hit a home run in his only at-bat and made a diving catch in the 8th inning to save a potential run. And he comes home with a trophy!  After the game, a visibly tired Joe said, "It was a great atmosphere, and a real privilege to be here. Every once in a while I get lucky and hit one out."  I have a feeling Joe was going to sleep on the way home...

• Michael Precise, who ended the day 4-5 with a run and 2 RBIs, said of his game-tying hit: "I was looking for a fastball. I felt pretty confident, and I got lucky and it snuck through [the infield]. I was lucky just to be on the team." On the contrary, Michael, it seems like the team was lucky to have you!

• Marcus Nidiffer on his home run, and near miss in the 6th (he got under that one a bit): "[The one I missed] got in on me a little. I search for fastballs, and they kept feeding them to me."  I can't help but think that all the radar guns behind home plate helped with this. Who wants to throw changeups when scouts are getting readings?

• Tucker Pryor, that's who! Tucker threw a dynamite change to strike out Evan Webb in the 3rd. Pryor was throwing in the low 90's, but threw the strikeout pitch at 77.

• I discovered that Waynesboro's Brandon Sizemore, the grit that holds that team together, it out for a while with bruised heels. He bruised them both in a pool accident. Hurry back, Brandon!

• Covington had a band playing before the game: "No Lifeguard on Duty." They covered CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, and other older tunes. They also played the National Anthem, which ended up sounding an awful lot like Jimi Hendrix's version at Woodstock! (They actually sounded quite good!)

• Most of the owners and league officers were there, and I finally got a chance to meet Linda Keen, Front Royal mega-fan and league secretary. Her husband Bob, however, was unable to attend. (The Keens are also Phillies fans!)

• I had a great time sitting in the scouting section next to Bill Buck, a local Detroit Tigers scout. He graciously answered all my questions as I picked his brain about everything I could think of- from catcher's arms to the stats vs. traditional scouting debate.

• I also met two parental units: Dan Gentzler's parents, who come from Valley Forge, PA- right down the road from where I grew up, and Mr. Andrews, Robbie Andrews' dad, who had the shortest drive of most, as he lives in Covington.

• The very first foul ball of the night was caught by New Market fan Charlie Dodge!

• After the game, the night ended with fireworks! My daughters are going to be disappointed when they hear this...

• As a last note, I wrote down the highest radar gun readings for each pitcher (some of these guys were throwing gas!):

Adam Liberatore, Waynesboro- 89
Travis Smink, Luray- 87
Lance Baxter, Staunton- 88
Ben Hildreth, Haymarket- 86
Chris Court, Covington- 88
Tucker Pryor, Front Royal- 86
Daniel Gentzler, New Market- 85
Garrett Parker, Harrisonburg- 86
Jared Bard, Woodstock- 91
Kevin Crimmel, Front Royal- 84
David Burch, New Market- 87
Jon Jacobs, Fauquier- 90
Jared Dobbs, Waynesboro- 89
Kyle Cichy, Luray- 90
Robbie Andrews, Covington- 88
Brach Davis, Woodstock- 87
Justin Collop, Winchester- 91
Josh Squatrito, Staunton- 91
Shawn Griffith, Fauquier- 88
Danny Wiltz, Waynesboro- 91
Tyler Thornburg, Winchester- 95

I will hopefully add pictures when I receive some from Haymarket Joe!

Game Report: Waynesboro vs. New Market, July 3

Thursday evening I had the opportunity to see the defending champion Waynesboro Generals for the first time this season as they took on the New Market Rebels at Rebel Field.  The Generals came in at 18-8, while the Rebels were 9-17.

Waynesboro started the scoring when they touched Rebel starter Steve Owens for 2 runs in the top of the first, when Brandon Sizemore singled, stole second, and then jogged home when Ryan Adams blasted a home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch.  The Generals added a run in the 6th when Gabriel Saade doubled to left field, and then sprinted home when the throw hit Brandon Sizemore as he was legging out a bunt hit. 

The Rebels got one back in the 6th when Riley Cooper dumped a single into center field with 2 outs, scoring Murray Watts, who had doubled. 

Waynesboro scored one last time in the top of the 9th, when Jacke Healey came home on an error (E-6).

Both starters threw exceeding well: Steve Owens pitched 8 complete innings while allowing 3 runs, and Waynesboro starter Jeff Sinkiewicz threw 6 innings, allowing the Rebels' lone run.  Daniel Wiltz came in and blew the Rebels away for the final 1 2/3 innings, earning his 5th save, as the Generals hung on to win 4-1.

Observations

• New Market's Michael Mooney hit not one but two shots down the left field line that were called foul by the home plate umpire. The ump was rather lackadaisical about the calls- on the first hit, both teams played out the entire play like it was fair before they realized the hit was called foul. (I'm not saying the calls were wrong, just un-vociferous.)

• The Rebels could have easily won this game (well, I don't know about "easily," but they could have). They left 9 runners on base, and had a rally squashed in the 8th when the base umpire ruled that Brandon Kirsch was hit with a batted ball, erasing a run and a chance for more. (The umpire heard the ball hit Kirsch, who insists that the ball did not hit him.)

• As a surprise, Waynesboro used Adam Liberatore in the 8th inning to face big Murray Watts. Adam is better known as a starter, but he told me after the game that it was his day to throw a bullpen session, so he volunteered to pitch if needed. (As an ironic twist, he walked Watts on 4 pitches. Is that irony? Sure, why not- we'll go with irony)

• Liberatore, Kaleb Fleck and Daniel Wiltz throw HARD- the Rebels' radar gun had Liberatore at 88, Fleck at 89 and Wiltz at 90. Most players I've talked to believe that the gun is slow, too.

• In the 4th, Brandon Sizemore made a brilliant diving stop up the middle, and flipped the ball to Gabriel Saade for a force at second. He saved what would have been a 1st-and-second with none out situation.

• Saade and Mooney both looked excellent at shortstop- both were very smooth.

• I got a chance to talk to Waynesboro fans Beverly Henderson and Tabitha Lunsford- the 4th and 5th fans to complete the around the valley circuit. They said that the most impressive stadium was Front Royal's, and Fauquier is not only far away but also tough to find...

• I also spoke with Michelle Stewart, fiancee of Daniel Wiltz. She was visiting for the weekend before she hustles back down to Tennessee for classwork.

• Saw some old friends- Melissa Dodge, Jay Hafner, and of course, Jerry Carter and Bruce Alger...

• The 50/50 prize was worth $255! And the winner donated it back!  New Market fans are amazing...

                                
                                                              Steve Owens

                                
                                                              Gabriel Saade

                                
                                                           Brandon Sizemore

Game Report: Haymarket vs. Luray, June 21

So my buddy Hugh wanted to go to a game. We narrowed our choices down to staying here at home to watch Fauquier play Harrisonburg, or heading over the mountain to watch Haymarket take on Luray.  It had rained quite a bit during the day, so we thought it might be best to stay in town, but I called Bill Turner of the Wranglers, and he said, "Come on over- it's clear!"  Soon after the game began, the announcement came over the loudspeaker: the game was canceled in Harrisonburg, because a light pole was struck by lightning. We chose wisely (grasshopper)!

This game, to put it simply, was much, much closer than the final score indicated.

The scoring began when Luray's shortstop, Adam McClain (pictured left), ripped a solo home run off Haymarket's Weston Szymanski to lead off the bottom of the third inning. The Wranglers added two more in the 6th when Jeff Jefferson singled and Austin Markel hit an opposite-field home run to left-center. The Senators cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the 7th inning, when Tripp Swann singled and came around to score on Joe Conforti's hit.

The score remained at 3-1 until the bottom of the 8th, when the floodgates opened. In a dizzying array of singles, hit-by-pitches, walks, and a Cory Johnson home run (who always seems to hit well when ATVL attends) the Wranglers put up 7 runs off two Haymarket relievers. The Wranglers were aided by an error, as well.

The Senators scored one run in the top of the ninth to make the final score 10-2, but Luray was now 11-6, and Haymarket fell to 6-11.

Observations:

• I got a chance to visit with Haymarket Joe for the first time this season! It was so much fun following Joe's progress around the stadium from his patented yell, "Let's Goooooooooo, Haymarket!"  He yelled every half inning, just before the first pitch. He was down the left field line, then behind home plate, then beyond the right field fence... we always knew exactly where he was!

• At one point, a Luray fan called out "Shut up!" when Joe hollered, but a second fan quickly set the record straight- she said, "Hey, now- he's their #1 fan!"  The other guy: "Oh, ok." And that was that.

• There were three fantastic defensive plays in this game: Two by Luray's Chris Rey, one a diving catch in the 2nd, and the second was a catch up against the right field fence in the 6th. Haymarket's Tripp Swann made an excellent diving stop at first base and made the flip to the pitcher in the 5th inning.

• Luray's Travis Smink entertained this fan when, in the 1st inning, a Haymarket batter hit a slow foul dribbler towards the Luray bullpen. Smink jumped up, sprinted out to the grounder, made a sliding grab of the now-stopped ball, jumped back up, and sprinted back to his spot in the bullpen. Clearly, Travis had some extra energy!

• The public address announcer? Our old friend Jerry Carter! Of course, I didn't recognize his voice until Jerry's daughter (the one studying Astrophysics at UVA- yes, you read that right) told me who was up there! Jerry also mentioned ATVL twice during the game. Thanks, Jerry!

• I also got a chance to check in with Luray's Buck Harman, who couldn't help but hassle me from the second row, Luray owner Bill Turner, Luray Coach Mike Bocock, Luray first baseman Jeremy Cruz, and Haymarket Coach Bill Shields.

• Hitter of the game: Adam McClain, who went 2-5, with 2 runs, 3 RBIs, and the aforementioned home run. The pitcher of the game was clearly Luray's Kyle Cichy (pictured above right), who threw 7 innings, allowing 7 hits, 1 run (earned), 1 walk, and striking out 4. He hit 87 on my gun.

All in all, an excellent night in Luray!

(Both pictures taken by the one, the only, Haymarket Joe!  Thanks, Joe!)

Game Report: Staunton vs. Harrisonburg, June 17

I'm going to try something a bit different with this report. Some of you read Bill Simmons on espn.com. He often runs a "diary" of an important event, in which he gives updates, along with many jokes about pop culture. I thought I'd try it during the game Tuesday night, but I have two disclaimers:

1. Bill Simmons often makes funs of various celebrities and professional athletes in his diaries. I am writing this blog in support of the league, and these kids are college players- not professionals. I will not make fun of them, so my diary will be much more muted than Simmons'.

2. As my 9th grade students will attest, I am not very hip to pop culture (there, I just proved it by that sentence). I have never knowingly heard a Britney Spears song, and I don't have cable tv, to give two examples. I don't know whom the latest heartthrobs are in Hollywood- back in my day, it was Winona Ryder.  Or maybe that was just me.

ANYWAY, here is a diary-form of the main happenings of the game Tuesday night:

7:28: We have a moment of silence for the four Boy Scouts killed in Iowa recently before the national anthem. Since it's Boy Scout night at Memorial Stadium, this is a nice gesture.

7:32: Turks catcher Mike Pericht's facemask fell off on his warm-up throw down to second base- the first of what I'm sure will be many times tonight.

7:32: First pitch from Turk starter Garrett Parker- 85 mph, Staunton's Max Most grounds out 5-3.

7:35: Braves' Donovan Huffer called out on strikes, Brave fans getting antsy. Guy from the stands yelled, "Good gollee Ned!"  I'm pretty sure the ump's name is not Ned.

7:37: Parker no-hitter gone- Blake McDade hits a broken-bat single.

7:38: Another called strike three- Parker hits 88 on my ancient JUGS radar gun.

7:42: Turk leadoff batter, Drew Johnson, just about hit the Staunton starting pitcher, Shawn Kale, with a liner up the middle.

7:43: Brett Stewart blasts the 1-0 pitch way over the left field fence. 2-0, Turks. It's safe to say that he got all of that one.

7:45: Dave Mann up to bat- he is one large fella. Called strike 3- "That's horrible," he said, as he headed back to the dugout.

7:47: End of first inning- Kale hitting 84-85 on the gun.

7:49: Braves' Matt Hamlet up in the 2nd. Wonder if he gets a ton of Shakespeare jokes. He walks. Neither a borrower or a lender be.

7:54: Jason Stifler rips a double into the right-center gap, scoring Hamlet (Get thee to a nunnery!). Brings up Matt Blow, who looks even bigger than Dave Mann! (Blow is 6-6, 220, while Mann is listed at 6-6, 245, so I guess not)

7:56: The turkey makes an appearance!  My daughters are going to be annoyed they missed him (her? it?).

7:57: Kids say weird things. The three (boy) scouts sitting below me yelled, "He flinched!  strike three!" Count was 3-0 on he batter at the time.

8:00: Sun is making things tough- mostly just for the fans, I think. It seems to be setting right down the right field line. Cool evening, though.

8:02: Kale is throwing what appears to be a splitter that is acting like a knuckleball at times.

8:07: Cotton Eye Joe!  Sigh.

8:10: Bit of a brushback pitch to Staunton's (and JMU's) Matt Browning.

8:17: Through 3 innings, still 2-1 Harrisonburg. both pitchers.. IT'S THE CHICKEN POLKA!.. whoa, sorry- both pitchers seem to be settling down. Damon from WHSV got a good shot of one of the aforementioned boy scouts actually performing the polka of the chicken. The kid was, shall we say, delighted to find out he's going to be on the news.

8:21: Parker has now set down 7 Braves in a row.

8:24: Sun is now behind the trees, and it's getting a wee bit chilly...

8:27: Turks try a hit and run- pitch was outside, almost like a pitchout (but not), Stifler gunned down Michael Precise.

8:32: Game is now 60 minutes old, and we're through 4 complete innings. Pretty quick rate.

8:38: Precise makes a nice running grab in right field on a 2-out Huffer flare that saved the tying run (Max Most was on second base).

8:44: Craig Gillet in for Kale (final numbers: 4 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs (earned), 3 walks, 2 strikeouts)

8:46: Gillet picks off Mike Pericht at first (who had walked). Pericht didn't even move! Looks like he thought it was a balk.  You know, with only two umpires, it's virtually impossible to see if a lefthanded pitcher balks. The base ump has to stand behind the mound...

8:50: Top of the 6th- McDade rips a line drive directly at Drew Johnson in center field.  F-8

8:52: Matt Browning steals second after a Brett Stewart error- he got a huge jump!

8:57: Geoff Oxley in for Gillet in the 6th (Gillet's numbers: 1 shutout inning, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts)

9:02: Max Most makes a nice sliding catch in center to end the 6th, still 2-1 Turks.

9:02: Just made introductions- the couple next to me (not the "Ned" guy) are Staunton third baseman Stephen Branca's parents, here all the way from nice and warm Florida...

9:03: There goes Pericht's helmet again...

9:04: Matt Blow is not having much luck tonight. He stings the ball again, but right at second baseman Landon Camp.

9:07: Game changing moment! Max Most (having a well-rounded game), launches an 0-1 hit-and-run pitch over the right field fence! Staunton leads, 3-2.

9:15: 3-1 count on Matt Browning, a very good hitter. I'm anticipating a big moment here.... foul straight back. He just missed that one!  Now a fly out to right.

9:18: I'm cold.

9:19: Parker strikes out Branca with runners on first and third to end the top of the 7th.

9:22: Jason Ferguson in for Oxley (1 shutout inning, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts). Ferguson is a submariner, hitting about 75 on the gun.

9:25: Pericht hits a 2-out single. Wilsisky Baez pinch runs, and steals second on the first pitch, and goes to third on the errant catcher's throw.

9:28: Josh Squatrito now comes in with 2 outs, and Baez on third. Josh has a whopping 20 strikeouts in only 7 2/3 innings so far this season! (Ferguson's numbers: 2/3 inning, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts)

9:30: Make it 21 strikeouts in 8 innings. Squatrito hit 91 on the gun, and strikes out Zach Skidmore for out #3.

9:33: Top 8th. Jordan Smith replaces Garrett Parker (7 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs (earned), 5 walks, 5 strikeouts).

9:35: The scoreboard is having conniptions. Sometimes it seems to flash along with whatever music is played between innings...

9:36: I'm colder yet. You know, the Brancas came WAY better prepared than I did, and they're from Florida!  Mrs. Branca has three layers! I live a mile away, and I'm cold.

9:39: Smith throws a clean inning except for a walk to Blow.

9:40: Staunton's playing musical outfielders. Nick Siega-Riz goes to center for Most, who moves to left, replacing Browning.  Happy Birthday, Nick!

9:42: Squatrito is for the bottom of the 8th. Drew Johnson leads off with a single, but Squatrito then strikes out the side. Now 9 innings pitched, 24 strikeouts!  That's a 24.0 K/9!

9:51: Austin Sloan replaces Smith on the hill.

9:55: 1-2-3 inning for Sloan... and here comes Donald Howell, the closer for the Braves. (Squatrito: 1 1/3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts)

9:57: Camp leading off. 2-1 pitch- Camp launches it to center... gone!  An 86 mph fastball, and Camp hit it 370+ feet. Tied at 3!

10:01: After an out, Pat Luehring lifted a very high foul pop-up towards the Staunton bullpen. It drops.  new life for Patrick.

10:02: Luehring doubles to right center field gap.

10:03: Local boy Josh Tutwiler up with a chance to win it...

10:05: Tutwiler walks on 6 pitches- tough at-bat!  Skidmore with the next chance to win it...

10:05: Another walk- this one on 4 pitches.

10:07: After a conference on the mound, Howell will face Johnson. Bases loaded, 1 out, tie game, bottom of the 9th. Braves have to cut down the runner at the plate or turn two.

10:08: Johnson hits the first pitch just past the mound, and Howell can't make the play.. everyone safe! Game over, Harrisonburg wins, 4-3.  The Turks spill out of the dugout to meet Luehring at the plate.

10:09: Player of the game- Drew Johnson. 3-5, run, RBI, stolen base, walk-off single.

10:10: I should stick around to talk to some folks, but I'm sooooo cold....

Game Report: New Market vs. Winchester, June 15

On a warm early Sunday evening, New Market took on Winchester in a battle between teams with inverse records: Winchester was 8-4, while New Market was 4-8.

The Rebels leaped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning when burly first baseman Murray Watts ripped a screaming line drive over the right field fence, scoring Jeffrey Toth, who had singled. The line drive seemed to remain the minimum height needed to clear the fence, with very little to spare. The Rebels added a third run when Riley Cooper was hit by a pitch, and then circled the bases on an errant pick off throw and wild throw to third base, both on the same play.

The Royals answered with two in the bottom of the 2nd, when Matt McCollum singled home Mike Dufek on a very close play at the plate, and McCollum scored later on a Chris Berset single.

In the 3rd, Winchester put up a three-spot that began when Kyle Galbraith was hit by a pitch (in the mouth, in what appeared to be a glancing blow- he had to leave the game and go to the hospital for stitches, or so the rumor went in the stands). Tyler Kirkpatrick followed with a bad-hop single past short, Tyler Townsend singled in pinch-runner Andrew Lawrence, and Kirkpatrick scored on a wild pitch.  The inning ended on an odd play- Paul Bingham beat a double play throw to first, scoring Townsend, but when the ball skipped past Watts at first base, Bingham took one step towards second, and was called out when he was tagged.  The run still counted.

The Rebels added a run on a Brent Weiss bases-loaded walk in the 4th, and the Royals added one on another wild pitch in the 4th.

While both starters struggled with control, the game saw 9 1/3 shutout innings thrown by relievers. Tyler Thornburg ended the game for Winchester when he struck out Murray Watts with the tying run on base.

The Rebels fell to 4-9, while the Royals are now 9-4, in a virtual tie for first place with Fauquier in the North Division.

Observations:

• The 6:00 start was delightful, although it made for some interesting issues with the sun later in the game. Does anyone know why more Valley League teams don't start games earlier? It was perfect for me- I was home before too late.

• This was my first visit to Bridgeforth Stadium. The park has plenty of high seating available (to see over the dugouts), and even some picnic tables with nice views. The park could use some trimming (some of the weeds around the fence were pretty high), but all in all, it's a nice, comfortable place to watch a game.

• I had a chance to sit for a couple innings with New Market's Bruce Alger and Valley League Super Fan Austin Gisriel. It's always a pleasure to watch baseball with intelligent baseball people.

• Here's an odd stat: New Market is now 4-9, but they've outscored their opposition 54-52. According to the Pythagorean theorem- see the bottom of this page on espn.go.com for an explanation- the Rebel's winning percentage should be around .519, which would put them at, more or less, 7-6.  My hunch is that the Rebels will be there in the end.

• The Royals of 2007 had a big three that pounded the ball- Cueto, Sontag, and Greinke. This year's squad has another three hitting just as well in the early going: Mickey Wiswall, Tyler Townsend, and Kyle Galbraith.

• I met my namesake! We John Leonards need to stick together...