6/25/2007 – Daily News Record

Harrisonburg Falls to Generals written By Matthew Stoss Daily News Record HARRISONBURG – The last time Bob Wease got ejected from a game, it was five years ago and he didn’t really even get ejected. "I asked to be thrown out," the Harrisonburg Turks manager said. Wease said he did it then to fire up a listless team. Sunday against the Waynesboro Generals, he had no such strategy. Home plate umpire Rick Trollinger tossed Wease – and reserve shortstop Charlie Calamia – without their consent, apparently for arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of ninth inning of the Turks’ 2-0 Valley Baseball League loss at Veterans Memorial Stadium. "The only thing I said was ‘you’ve had a rough night back there,’ and he threw me out," said Wease, who was walking back to the third base coach’s box at the time. Harrisonburg starting pitcher Rod Brantley – who said he thought Trollinger had been good until the seventh inning – had his own theory. "[Calamia] didn’t say anything," said Brantley, who tossed 7 2/3 innings and allowed only one run. "I think the umpire was just looking to run somebody and he just threw the first guy he saw. "I thought he’d done a great job all night, but after they scored, he opened it up because he thought the game was over. In the first seven, I thought he did a real good job, though." Until the eighth inning, Brantley and Waynesboro starter Jon Dages kept both offenses from being very offensive. Brantley (1-1), a right-hander from Dallas Baptist, gave up two hits, struck out four and retired 11 in a row at one point. Brantley came out with two outs in the eighth with the game still scoreless and Waynesboro’s Chris Anninos, who walked, on second. Ian Reinhart came on in relief, but couldn’t keep the Generals off the board. The right-hander from Southern Illinois gave up RBI base hits to Kurt Davidson and Chris Enourato, allowing the inherited runner to score and then Davidson. "It was a strategic move," said Brantley, who thought he threw about 110 pitches. "The three hole was up and that’s usually your best hitter. The guy we brought in has a lot different arm slot. It was more strategy than anything." Said Wease: "We had planned to take him out then. We can’t let those guys throw too many pitches, but along the way, you’ll lose ballgames like this." The Generals (13-6) finished with four hits while the Turks (13-4) managed six hits off Dages, who pitched seven scoreless innings, struck out five and walked none against the best-hitting team in the VBL. "Dages threw a great ballgame," Wease said. "He’s one of the top pitchers in the league. "… And we couldn’t get the hits when we needed them." The Turks, who still hold a 1-game lead over the Generals for first place, left 10 runners on base and struggled to figure out Dages (4-0) all night. "He mixed it up exceptionally well," Generals manager Lawrence Nesselrodt. "He’s pitching with a lot confidence and [Pat] Irvine did a great job calling the game and just keeping the hitters off-balance." Waynesboro 000 000 020 – 2 4 4 Harrisonburg 000 000 000 – 0 8 1 Dages, Vandenbout (8), Williamson (8), Stanley (9) and Irvine, Morris (9); Brantley, Reinhart (8), Parker (9). W – Dages (4-0). L – Brantley (1-1). S – Stanley (6). HR – none.