W: Trey Gill (3-0)
L: Luke Leeth (0-3)
S: Pike (2)
In their first full game since Thursday night, Harrisonburg starter Trey Cochran-Gill moved to 3-0 and Harrisonburg won a decisive 9-3 victory over the visiting Staunton Braves.
The Braves (12-14) started quickly, tallying two runs off Gill in the top of the first inning; Harrisonburg (17-8) answered with at least two runs in each of the first three innings. By the end of the Turks’ initial 3-inning offensive surge, Staunton starter Luke Leeth had been pulled in favor of James Madison freshman Chris Huffman. Huffman looked more comfortable on his home turf, giving up only a single earned run in his 3 2/3 innings pitched, but the Braves left eight runners on base and could never get back into the game.
Cochran-Gill had an average night statistically, but did more than enough to secure his third win of the season in his 5+ innings at work for the Turks tonight. He allowed no runs after the first inning, struck out four, and walked five. He joins fellow Harrisonburg starters John McLeod and Dillon Ortman in the 3-win circle.
Chris Pike earned his second save of the season for the Turks. Pike allowed no earned runs and recorded four strikeouts in the final 3 2/3 innings of the game.
Offensively, center fielder Ryan Lee continued to make a case for his place in the VBL all-star game, notching a 2/4 game and scoring twice. He also made the coolest play of the game, turning an erroneous single to right field into an inside-the-park home run.
Left fielder Kenny Jackson led Staunton at bat, finishing 2/4 with an RBI.
The Turks will change it up tomorrow, playing a Monday night game for this first time this summer. They will host the Haymarket Senators in a regularly scheduled 7:30 PM inter-division game.