07/30/2011 – Daily News Record

Postseason Begins Today

Written by Mike Barber Daily News Record Harrisonburg – Less than 24 hours before the first pitch of their first-round playoff series, the Harrisonburg Turks finally know who they’ll be playing.

Front Royal beat Haymarket 4-1 in a one-game playoff Friday for the final spot in the Valley League’s postseason.

Top-seeded Harrisonburg will host the Cardinals (20-25) at 7:30 p.m. today at Veterans Memorial Park in Game 1 of a best of three series. Game 2 is Sunday at Front Royal.

“Now we’re starting a new season,” Turks owner/manager Bob Wease said Friday night. “You have a bad couple of games and you’re through. Anybody can win the playoffs if they get hot.”

The Turks haven’t played since Wednesday. They ended the regular season with the Valley League’s best record at 32-12 and have been waiting for make-up games to determine the final playoff seedings.

Wease said he will start Saint Joseph College right-hander Eric Meyerchick tonight again the Cardinals. Meyerchick went 6-0 with a 3.54 ERA during the regular season.

Harrisonburg went 1-1 against Front Royal, winning the team’s last meeting 802 on July 2. In that game, Meyerchick gave up two runs on seven hits in eight innings of work to earn the victory.

Arkansas Tech right-hander Aaron Luchterhand (3-1, 1.48) will get the ball in Game 2. If the series goes to a third game, Wease said he would start Wake Forest left-hander Niko Spezial (3-0, 1.62).

Wease said he expects star hitter Mac Williamson (Wake Forest) to sit out the entire first round of the playoffs with a thumb injury but hopes to have Williamson 0 who is second in the Valley League with a .381 average and tied for the league’s lead with 10 home runs – availble if the Turks advance.