Justin Camp’s Complete Game Shuts Down Visiting Braves

W: Justin Camp (2-0)
L: Cody Beck (0-1)

The Staunton Braves didn’t have much luck in their first trip to Veterans Memorial Park this season, leaving with the exact same amount of runs that they arrived with: zero.

Turks starter Justin Camp threw a gem of a game, one-hitting the Southern Division-leading Braves in the first home game at Veterans since last Tuesday. Camp, who tied a bow around his second win after a neat 1:57 game time, is looking like the go-to ace of the staff early on.

Harrisonburg (4-3) took advantage of the Braves’ erroneous first inning, scoring three runs (two unearned) before coasting to the 4-0 final score. After third baseman Thomas Smith singled and shortstop RJ Perucki took a walk, a bad throw to first allowed Turks first baseman Mike Warren to reach second. Perucki and Smith both scored.

After DH Joe Napolitano reached first on a second error, Warren scored from second on a past ball third strike. Both Perucki and Warren’s runs were unearned.

Perucki and Warren were two of a handful of players to play their first games on Tuesday night, arriving late for the VBL season because of the collegiate postseason success of Texas-San Antonio. For seasoned veteran Perucki, it is his third summer with the Turks.

After the Valley finally survived a night of baseball without rain (well, mostly) the Southern standings look a whole lot tighter. Staunton (5-3) is now tied for first place with New Market; Harrisonburg is half a game behind the lead.

The Turks will host the Strasburg Express (2-3) on Wednesday night. It’s the first matchup of the two teams this season, and the first interleague draw Harrisonburg will have in 2013.