Written by Rodrigo Aviles
Turks Broadcast Intern

Winchester, Va.- The Harrisonburg Turks return home empty handed after losing to the Winchester Royals 9-4. Once again, the Turks were able to strike first, but ultimately fell short on the road.

The night started off well for the Turks as they were able to get on the scoreboard early. Zack Budzik hit a single putting himself on base for the Turks.

Budzik was able to steal second base and two errors from the Royals’ defense allowed Budzik to advance to third and come across home plate for a score. The Turks were leading 1-0 after the first inning.

In the third inning, the Royals were able to shift the momentum in their favor. The Royals’ right fielder Grant Thompson scored a run after Royals’ third baseman Trevor Hafner hit a sacrifice fly towards left field. This tied the game at 1-1.

Later in the inning Jeremiah Boyd, the Royals’ designated hitter, hit a double to right field batting in Jordan Barnett and Kaden Warren for the Royals. At the end of three innings, the Royals had taken a 3-1 lead over the Turks.

The Royals expanded on their lead later in the fifth inning by scoring three more runs. The Royals’ left fielder Loren Franck hit a single batting in Jordan Barnett.

Adam Whitacre scored for the Royals after a wild pitch allowed him to cross home plate. Loren Franck then stole home plate putting the Royals ahead 6-1 going into the sixth inning.

The Turks looked to turn things around in the top of the sixth inning. Josh Madole stared it off by hitting a single to center field. Jed Bryant stepped up to the plate and drove the ball deep over the left field wall at Bridgeforth Field getting his first home run of the season.

The Turks were only down three runs going into the bottom of the sixth and it was looking like the Jed Bryant homer was going to turn things around for Harrisonburg.

Winchester, nonetheless, was not going to give up that easily. They rallied in the sixth and scored three more runs of their own. The Royals’ Grant Thompson scored off a single from Royals’ Jordan Barnett.

Another wild pitch from Harrisonburg allowed Kaden Warren and Jordan Barnett to score two more runs for the Royals. The Turks found themselves down 9-3 with only three innings left to play.

The Turks continued to fight and scored one more run in the top of the seventh inning.

An error by Winchester’s third baseman from a Zack Budzik hit allowed the Turks’ designated hitter, Harry Brown to get a point back for the Turks. Harrisonburg was still behind 9-4 after the seventh.

In the ninth inning, Harrisonburg’s Bryson Smith was able to get a walk, putting some hope back into the Turks’ faithful. However, the Royals’ pitcher, Trey Braithwaite, struck out the Turks’ next three hitters to bring the game to a close.

The Turks used three pitchers on the night. Will Brian, Andrew Rust, and Eli Ellington combined for six hits, nine runs, three earned runs, six walks and eleven strikeouts.

The Turks, now 2-3, will face the Covington Lumberjacks, 4-2, at Eagle Field on June, 7th at 7:30 p.m.