Turks blank Lumberjacks, win Opening Night 6-0

W: Jake Harper (1-0)
L: Jake Baldwin (0-1)

 

The 2013 Harrisonburg Turks began their title defense looking an awful lot like the team that won it all last summer. The Turks rode a dominant pitching outing from Jake Harper to a 6-0 win on opening night over the Covington Lumberjacks.

Harper worked deep into the night for head coach Bob Wease, going seven full innings before being replaced by reliever Adam Cherry. The Turks were in complete control when he left the mound — Harper finished with seven strikeouts to just one walk. His lone blemish was  a double given up to Covington third baseman Eric Murphy in the top of the third inning.

Cherry missed out on nabbing the Valley League’s first save of the summer after pitching just the final six outs, but he finished with four strikeouts. He faced seven batters.

Offensively, Harrisonburg scored early and often, registering at least one run in four of the first six innings. Joe Napolitano led the Turks with a big first game; the third baseman from Wake Forest finished Opening Night with three hits in four at bats. He plated twice and registered one RBI.

Fleet-footed second baseman Andy Perez finished 1 of 4 with one RBI and two stolen bases.

Covington’s Jake Baldwin takes the loss. Baldwin fanned five batters, but allowed three earned runs on six hits through four innings. Murphy’s hit was the only offense the Lumberjacks managed before Anthony Dimino’s single off Cherry in the ninth.

Harrisonburg will play its first away game in New Market tomorrow evening at 7:30. The Turks will return to Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday night to play the Rockbridge Rapids.