Harrisonburg Turks

Member of the Valley Baseball League and NACSB.

  • 1955 VBL Champions
  • 1958 VBL Champions
  • 1959 VBL Champions
  • 1962 VBL Champions
  • 1964 VBL Champions
  • 1969 VBL Champions
  • 1970 VBL Champions
  • 1971 VBL Champions
  • 1977 VBL Champions
  • 1991 VBL Champions
  • 2000 VBL Champions
  • 2012 VBL Champions
  • 2023 VBL Champions

Rebels Keep Befuddling Turks

7/14/2007 – Daily News Record

Posted 2007-07-14 New Market Beats Harrisonburg, 3-1 Written By Marcus Helton Daily News Record NEW MARKET — For all of their success this season, the Harrisonburg Turks just can’t seem to resolve their issues with New Market. Brett Palanski allowed just one run on seven hits and Nick Stanley hit a two-run double to lead the Rebels to a 3-1 win over the Turks in a Valley Baseball League contest Friday. Of Harrisonburg’s nine loses this season, three have come to the Rebels (14-18). "It’s one of those things that if I knew [how it happened] I’d be a millionaire," New Market coach Evan Brannon said. "You just really can’t explain it. It’s just that we’ve played well, I don’t know, really every time we’ve played against them. That’s the way it happens sometimes." The Turks (22-9) had their chances, but couldn’t mount a sustained rally after falling behind early. Each team put up seven hits, but the Turks were unable to capitalize on three New Market errors and stranded eight runners on base. "It felt like we hit the ball well the whole day," Harrisonburg second baseman Travis Peep (Arizona) said. "It was just pretty much at people, and our hits were spread apart. We couldn’t string any together. Basically, when it came down to it, we had runners on, but their pitcher made pitches and we just couldn’t get the job done." New Market took the lead in the second inning on A.J. Yoder’s RBI single, but the Turks tied things up on Peep’s RBI double in the top of the third. While the Turks couldn’t get anything else going against Palasnki (Rhode Island), the Rebels got to Harrisonburg starter Tim Wheeler (Troy). Wheeler allowed three runs on six hits in five innings of work. Stanley’s two-run double in the third provided the winning margin. The Turks best chance to get back in the game came in the sixth inning, when they loaded the bases against Palanski with no outs. "I was just trying to make them make contact and turn two," Palanski said. "I was trying to get out of the inning as unharmed as possible." He did just that, inducing designated hitter Andrew Franco (Appalachian State) into a short chopper back to the mound that resulted in a rare 1-2-3 double play. With runners on second and third, Palanski struck out B.J. Wheeler (Clarendon) to end the threat. "That was the turning point of the game," Harrisonburg manager Bob Wease said. "We had the bases loaded and couldn’t score. You’ve got to give New Market credit, they keep coming at you, coming at you, coming at you. We just got beat by a better ball club tonight." Palanksi departed in the top of the eighth and was replaced by Fairleigh Dickinson lefthander John Meadus, who threw just one pitch – inducing lefty-hitting David Dennis (Oklahoma City) into a groundout – before being replaced by Presbyterian junior Ben Dollar. Keene State’s Greg Ford pitched a hitless ninth for his second save of the season. The loss dropped the Turks to a game and half behind first-place Waynesboro with just over two weeks remaining in the regular season. "Right now I think we’re playing good," Peep said. "We’re winning four in a row and then losing one, I don’t think that’s bad baseball, it’s just important that we get hot the last week of the season and then take that momentum into the playoffs." Harrisonburg 001 000 000 — 1 7 1 New Market 012 000 00x — 3 7 3 Wheeler, Moore (5), Kennedy (6), Chapman (8) and Pericht. Palanski, Meadus (8), Dollar (8), Ford (9) and Stanley. WP –Palanski (2-0). LP – Wheeler (3-1). S – Ford (2).