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

Turks Fall to the Senators, 4-2

07/17/2011 – Turks Tidbits

Written by Nathaniel Stoltz James Madison University Harrisonburg – The Turks fell to 26-10 with a Sunday night loss to the visiting Haymarket Senators, falling to 1-1 on their current homestand.

Harrisonburg did jump out to an early lead, benefiting from some sloppy Senators fielding in the first inning. After a one-out double to shortstop Robert Perucki (UTSA) and a hit-by-pitch to second baseman Sam Dove (Georgia Tech), cleanup hitter Dodson McPherson (Wingate) hit a soft grounder to Senators third baseman Chris Bresnahan, who was indecisive about whether to tag Perucki on his way to third or throw to another base. By the time Bresnahan threw the ball to first, everybody was safe. First baseman Brock Green (Ouachita Baptist) followed with a grounder to Senators second baseman Aaron Attaway. Attaway bobbled the potential double-play ball and was only able to get the out at first base, allowing Perucki to score.

The Senators came back to tie the game at one in the top of the third inning on an RBI double to deep center by right fielder Mark Nelson, but the Turks got their one-run lead back in the bottom of the fourth, when McPherson singled, moved to third on a hit by DH Chris Marconcini (Duke), and scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Casey Goss (JMU).

Turks starter Aaron Luchterhand ran into trouble in the fifth, however. With one out, he hit Senators catcher Jeff Kammer with a pitch before walking Attaway. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, and a Bresnahan single tied the game. A sacrifice fly by shortstop Matt Marra sent Bresnahan to third and made it a 3-2 game, and Bresnahan stole home to make it 4-2.

Besides that, Luchterhand pitched a strong game, allowing just five hits and a walk in a complete-game effort, striking out five Senators. However, Haymarket starter Taylor Robinson was a force as well, throwing eight strong innings. Robinson also allowed five hits and a walk, striking out four – the main difference between his outing and Luchterhand’s was that most of the Senators’ damage came in one frame – that three-run fifth.

The Turks loaded the bases against reliever Ted Hurval in the ninth but couldn’t push a run across.

Robinson improved to 3-3 with the win. Luchterhand fell to 2-1 and Hurval picked up his first save of the season.

McPherson led the Turks with three hits, in a game where the two clubs just combined for eleven. Marconcini, Perucki and Gonzalez had a hit apiece for Harrisonburg. Bresnahan had two hits for the Senators, with Nelson, Josh Boyd, Matt Delewski having the other hits for Haymarket.

Harrisonburg has an off-day tomorrow before continuing their eight-game homestand Tuesday, hosting Covington at Veterans Memorial Park at 7:30 PM. Make sure to be there!