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

Braves Rally In Ninth To Knock Off Turks

Braves Rally In Ninth To Knock Off Turks

Written By Ron Hartlaub
Staunton News Leader

STAUNTON — Strong pitching from Max Povse kept Staunton in the game against South Division-leading Harrisonburg on Thursday night, while some clutch hits down the stretch provided a victory.

Frank Grandinette delivered a long game-winning single in the ninth, as the Braves walked off with a 2-1 win over the Turks at John Moxie Memorial Stadium.

With the score tied at 1-all, Zack Fisher led off the Staunton ninth inning with a solid single to center. Josh Sharpe followed with a sacrifice bunt and Fisher would then take third on a balk by Harrisonburg reliever Adam Cherry. Following a walk to Danny Rodriguez, Grandinette entered as a pinch-hitter and promptly drove the first pitch he saw off the right field wall for the game-winning hit.

“I was trying to get something over the plate, a fastball that I could drive to the outfield to try to bring that run in,” said Grandinette, who pitched this past collegiate season for Miami, but will be transferring to Florida Manatee Junior College next year where he hopes to play some third base as well. “He threw me one right down the middle, so I just tried to poke it over the right-fielder’s head. It worked out for me.”

Despite a strong outing on the mound, Povse settled for a no-decision. The 6-foot-8 right-hander from North Carolina-Greensboro gave up just one unearned run over 813 innings, walking only one while striking out 11.

“I had real good control of all of my pitches,” said Povse, who at one point retired 14 straight Turks. “I was keeping the ball low, getting groundballs and keeping them off-balanced.”

Harrisonburg got its only run in the first. Andy Perez singled, stole second and moved to third when the throw on the attempt skipped into center. Eric Kalbfleisch scored Perez with a groundout to short, making it a 1-0 game.

Lefty Garrett Ford, who also went 813 innings for Harrisonburg, made the lead hold up until the sixth. James Vasquez and Bryant Hayman delivered back-to-back singles with one out. One batter later, Fisher lined a single to right-center, scoring Vasquez and evening the score at 1-all.