07/13/2011 – Turks Tidbits
Written by Nathaniel Stoltz James Madison University Harrisonburg – In a battle of division leaders, the Turks prevailed 6-4 over the Southern Division-leading Waynesboro Generals Wednesday night.
The Turks have still only lost one game at home all season after the victory. Harrisonburg remains comfortably atop the Valley League after the win.
The game didn’t get off to the best of starts, as Harrisonburg starter Justin Somers (Wingate) ran into trouble in the first inning, issuing a pair of walks and allowing an infield single to load the bases before he recorded his first out. He was able to escape the inning with just one run allowed on a Chase Worthington sacrifice fly.
The Turks only needed one inning to get the run back, as right fielder and cleanup man Mac Williamson (Wake Forest) proved there’s more to his game than just home runs. He singled to lead off the bottom of the second before stealing second and then third base, later scoring the tying run on a Worthington error.
Harrisonburg then took the lead against Waynesboro starting pitcher Joey Zuniga in the third, as center fielder Jay Gonzalez (Auburn) doubled with one out and then scored on a single by second baseman Sam Dove (Georgia Tech).
In the fourth, the Turks made it three straight innings with a run, as first baseman Chris Marconcini (Duke) opened the inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Blake Austin (Auburn), and they weren’t done there, as the next inning saw Dove work a two-out walk before scoring on a double by left fielder Dodson McPherson (Wingate). Williamson followed with a single to left to make it 5-1.
Meanwhile, Somers settled down, striking out five straight batters and retiring eight straight overall. He ultimately allowed four runs on three hits and seven walks in 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight. His opponent, Zuniga, allowed five runs on six hits and three walks in five innings.
After Waynesboro cut it to 5-4 in the seventh, the Turks picked up an insurance run in the eighth when third baseman Casey Goss (JMU) reached on an error and advanced all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt from shortstop Robert Perucki (UTSA). Dove then singled to score Goss, picking up his second RBI of the game.
Somers improved to 2-1 with the win, while Zuniga fell to 0-1. Reliever Pat Christensen (La Salle) picked up his seventh save The Generals are 17-14 with the loss.
Gonzalez, Dove, and Williamson had two hits apiece for the Turks. Gonzalez and McPherson had the team’s two doubles and Marconcini the lone triple. Williamson contributed three steals to quadruple his season total in a game that featured lots of running by both sides.
The Turks go on a two-day road trip before returning home to Veterans Memorial Park Saturday to host division rival Luray and start an eight-game homestand.