W: Trey Gill (2-1)
L: Garrett Cortright (1-2)
S: Chris Pike (1)

 

The Harrisonburg Turks were the beneficiary of strong hitting and dominant pitching as they overpowered the Front Royal Cardinals 7-2 on Thursday night.

The Turks’ anxiously awaited return home after a six-day road trip was greeted by mildly threatening weather and a smattering of determined fans. The night was truly marked by a battle of 1-1 pitchers though, with Harrisonburg’s Gill taking up arms against Cortright’s Cardinals. Gill completely outmatched his competition, allowing just one earned run and fanning six in 6 1/3 innings on the mound. Meanwhile, Front Royal (7-10) relieved Cortright by the fourth inning after he gave up four hits, three earned runs, and three walks.

Chris Pike closed out the game for the Turks. He earned his first save of the season by protecting a seventh inning 5-2 lead. Pike seemed even more indomitable than Gill, as he accounted for six of the final eight outs with strikeouts of his own.

The Harrisonburg pitching battery got plenty of run support to complement their strong outing. Eric Mason again proved himself one of the best catchers in the league with a perfect 3/3 performance at the plate, and center fielder Ryan Lee ended the game 3/4 with a home run and two RBI.

The Turks (12-6) have now won three straight and are tied with the Waynesboro Generals in the win column atop the Valley League South standings. They will host the Northern division-leading Winchester Royals Friday night.