06/24/2011 – Turks Tidbits
Written By Nathaniel Stoltz James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA – The Turks continued their excellent play this season with a 6-3 win over Haymarket at home Friday night. The win improves Harrisonburg to a Valley League-best 14-4 and drops Haymarket to 6-11.
Turks starter Niko Spezial (Wake Forest) pitched deep into the game, allowing three runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three. The sole lefthander in the Turks’ starting rotation, the southpaw fell behind early in the game when Senators designated hitter Mike Snyder ripped a double deep into left-center field in the top of the first, scoring third baseman Chris Bresnahan, who had walked earlier in the inning.
The Turks weren’t behind for long, though, as right fielder Mac Williamson (Wake Forest) walked to lead off the bottom of the second. Williamson then advanced to second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch before scoring on a single from third baseman Ty McFarland (JMU). Harrisonburg struck for three more runs in the fifth off of Senators starter (and the game’s losing pitcher) Justin Gorski, with second baseman Sam Dove ripping a two-run double and scoring on a single from left fielder Dodson McPherson. Gorski was charged for all six Turks runs in 5 1/3 innings, as he allowed two more in the sixth.
Snyder ripped another RBI double in the sixth for Haymarket, and then scored on a throwing error by Harrisonburg shortstop Casey Goss, but the Turks matched those two runs with the aforementioned two of their own, as Dove and catcher Blake Austin both ripped RBI singles in the inning.
Turks reliever Ryan Chapman came on to face Snyder, who was 2-for-2 with two doubles and a walk to that point, with one out and two runners on in the top of the eighth and got the star slugger to ground into an inning-ending double play. Chapman also pitched a scoreless ninth to record his first save of the season.
Williamson and Dove led the way for the Turks with two hits apiece. Snyder and right fielder Mark Nelson were the only players with two hits for Haymarket.
Harrisonburg has still lost just one game at home all season. The Turks will look to continue that momentum at the Vet tomorrow night, when they host Woodstock (7-11) for the first time in 2011.