6/28/04 – Daily News Record

By ANDY MENDLOWITZ Daily News-Record If hitting is contagious, then its spreading through the Harrisonburg Turks like chickenpox. The Turks beat Staunton 16-6 in a Valley League game Sunday before 1,150 at Memorial Stadium. The outburst comes a night after getting 14 hits in a 9-3 win over Waynesboro. "It’s a contagious thing," shortstop Gered Mochizuki said. "We feed off of each other." The Turks blasted 16 hits and were also aided by two Staunton errors and seven walks. Harrisonburg (10-8) and Staunton (10-8) are tied for second in the Southern Division, a half-game behind Woodstock (11-8). Mochizuki went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Joe Kemp (Indiana) went 2-for-2 with four RBIs and two runs scored and Cameron Clarke (Oklahoma City) went 3-for-4 with a solo home run. Not to be overshadowed was Turks’ right-hander Damian Salcedo (Oklahoma State). The 5-foot-9, 166-pounder allowed no earned runs in seven innings. He struck out 12 with two walks and two hits while throwing in the low 90 mile per hour-range, according to Turks manager Bob Wease. Pitching with the lead, Salcedo was able to work on his curve ball, which complemented his fastball and change-up. At one point, Salcedo struck out six in a row in a span from the fifth inning to the seventh. As the summer goes on, he said he’s thinking less on the mound – and is just trusting his stuff. "I have more confidence now," Salcedo said. "I’d rather rely on the catcher so I don’t have to shake them off as much." The Turks seem to have recovered from their recent struggles. They have now won two straight after dropping six of their previous eight games. "They were getting a little down," Wease said "I told them to hang in there. We’re a good ball club." And now the hitting is coming around. Several other Turks also had stat-padding nights. Reggie Watson (Indiana) went 2-for-5 with three runs scored, Pat Caldwell (Yavapai Junior College) went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Ryan Gotcher (Southwest Missouri State) went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Things got interesting late in the three hour, 12 minute game. The Turks scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to increase their lead to 16-1. In the top of the ninth, Staunton scored fives times to cut the deficit to 16-6 – but there would be no miracle finish. It was the rough beginning, though, that did in the Braves. The Turks scored three runs in the first inning and twice in the second for a quick 5-1 lead. Mochizuki (Yavapai (Az.) Junior College) said a focus of the Turks the last two nights was coming in pumped up from the first pitch. "Most of the games we come out flat and then turn it on in the middle of the game," Mochizuki said. "Sometimes it’s too late. … We try to come out strong in the beginning."