By Jen Kulju
Turks Staff Writer
HARRISONBURG –
The Harrisonburg Turks triumphed over the Charlottesville Tom Sox 5-2 on Saturday, snapping their four-game losing streak. The Turks countered erratic pitching and fielding errors by the Tom Sox with timely hitting to pull out the win.
The Turks’ first run came in the third inning against Tom Sox starting pitcher Evan Justice. Caleb Walls (Pasco-Hernando State) was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. With Walls on first, Austin Embler (UNC Greensboro) singled to left. A wild pitch to Zach Little (Wingate) moved Walls to third and Embler to second. Little followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Walls.
The Tom Sox bounced back with a run of their own in the sixth. Starting Turks’ pitcher Andrew Bohm (Purdue) started off the inning by walking Max Bazin, who advanced to second when Zac Ching was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, Pat McColl blasted the ball up the middle for a single, scoring Bazin.
With the score tied 1-1, the Turks rallied for four runs in the seventh against Tom Sox hurler Hunter Gregory, who replaced reliever Jack Barry in the sixth inning. David Craan (Illinois) led off with a walk. Grant Van Scoy (Illinois) had a sacrifice bunt on an error by Ching, the third baseman. Walls followed with an infield single, scoring Craan. After Embler walked to load the bases, Little doubled to right, scoring Van Scoy and Walls. Paul Castillo (Jacksonville University) then scored Embler on a sacrifice fly to left.
The Tom Sox put one more run on the board in the eighth, but fell three shy of the Turks. Bohm allowed one run on three hits, striking out four in 5.2 innings pitched. Daniel Brandon (Longwood), who entered the game in the seventh, pitched one inning and got the win. Gregory got the loss. Josh Karklin (Wingate) pitched the ninth inning and got the save.
Little had three RBI for the Turks, and the defensive play of the game may have been when Embler made a diving catch to his right at second base, snagging a line drive hit by McColl in the fourth inning. The home crowd sure made some noise!
The Turks are now 12-10 and play a doubleheader at home on Sunday night against the Woodstock River Bandits. The first game starts at 6 pm and the second game starts at 7:30 pm.