06/03/2008 – Turks Tidbits
Written by Andy May, Broadcasting Intern Bridgewater College Harrisonburg- A nail-biter 9th inning for the Harrisonburg Turks as they held on to hand Covington their first loss of the season, beating the Lumberjacks 7 to 4. The Turks had control of the game for the first 8 innings, but the Lumberjacks loaded the bases in the top of the 9th inning before Austin Sloan coaxed a game-ending groundout. Sloan (Yavapai College) earned his 2nd save of the season. Justin Wood (JMU) recorded his first win coming into the game in the 5th inning for the Turks pitching 4 innings striking out 4 batters and allowing only 3 runs. Drew Johnson (Univ. of San Francisco) led the Turks, nearly hitting for the cycle, going 3-3 with a single, double, and a triple just feet from being out of the park. Johnson knocked in 3 RBIs and scored twice. Chris Murphy (Southern Illinois) scored earlier in the game on a Lumberjack three-base throwing error that allowed Murphy to reach third, but the Lumberjacks failed to cover home plate and Murphy scampered home. It was a crazy play in an overall sloppy defensive effort by both teams. A solo home run by Mike Precise (Troy) in the seventh appeared to put the game away but the Lumberjacks battled back and mounted a ninth-inning rally before falling. Covington’s Cole Lohden (Hill) took the loss for the Lumberjacks pitching six innings and striking out two. The Lumberjacks were lead by JJ Muse (Kansas State) who went 2 for 4 with one RBI and two stolen bases. Kevin Thulin (Kentucky) also went 2 for 4 scoring two runs for the Jacks. The Harrisonburg Turks (2-2) travel to Staunton tomorrow to face the Braves (1-1) at 7:30pm while the Covington Lumberjacks (2-1) host the New Market Rebels (1-2).