7/02/2007 – Turk Tidbits
Written By Jessica Merrill James Madison University Sports Management Intern Harrisonburg, Va., July 1, 2007 – It was an all too familiar scene for the Woodstock River Bandits tonight as they dropped for a second time this season to the Harrisonburg Turks. In their previous appearance against Woodstock the Turks slaughtered the River Bandits by a score of 19-2 on their home field at Central High School’s baseball field. The Turks hammered off 22 hits leaving the Bandits in the dust. Tonight the Turks took the Bandits for a similar ride leaving them in the dark yet again by a score, this time, of 11-3. Harrisonburg took turns battering the Bandits’ pitchers slowly but surely lighting up the scoreboard from the bottom of the second inning straight through the sixth beginning with 1 run, then 3, 2, 1, and then 3 more yet again. Turks’ left fielder Robert Taylor (Ingram, Texas/Arkansas-Little Rock) had the big hit of the night as he hammered a two-run bomb into left field scoring second baseman Travis Peep (Chandler, Arizhttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Arizona) to clear the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning. Other big offensive contributors for the night were first baseman David Dennis (El Cajon, Califhttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Oklahoma City) who went 3-for-4 on the night with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI, and designated hitter John Murphy (Scottsdale, Arizhttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Arizona) who also went 3-for-4 with 1 run scored and 3 RBIs. Catcher Andrew Franco (Destin, Flahttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Appalachian State) had 2 hits on the night with 1 run scored and 2 RBIs, while Peep went 2-for-4 with 1 run scored and shortstop Ryan Wood (Woodbridge, Vahttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/East Carolina) went 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored. With the start of the seventh inning head coach/manager Bob Wease began to move his players around in the field. Several players were put in to pinch hit, while others were moved around the infield and outfield. By the end of the game Wease had reached into his bullpen not only in search of a reliever to close the game out, but for a first and second baseman as well as a right fielder. Pitcher Jon Vallen (Mt. Jackson, Vahttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Potomac State) was chosen to relieve starting pitcher Rod Brantley (Garland, Texas/Dallas Baptist) for the night. Brantley who moved to a record of 2-1 on the season pitched 8 complete innings for the Turks giving up just three hits while striking out 6. Pitcher Ian Reinhart (Holland, Indhttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Southern Illinois) went in to play second base for the Turks, while pitcher Ty Pryor (Orlando, Flahttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/North Florida) went in to play first base and pitcher Ryan Ellison (Clanton, Alahttps://harrisonburgturks.com/NewsManager/Troy) handled right field. The three Turks’ pitchers even loaded the bases at one point in the bottom of the eighth when Ellison singled into right field, Pryor walked, and Reinhart was hit by a pitch. Ellison went 1-for-1 on the night with 1 run scored. The Turks will look to start up another win streak as they host the Staunton Braves tonight at 7:30.