Written By Kaeyln Spickler
Turks Staff Writer
The Harrisonburg Turks were defeated by the Staunton Braves last night, 9-2, which puts the Turks at 2-7. After winning on Opening Night, this is not the outcome Turks fans expected; however, the potential is there, and every day is a new day.
Before the game the coaching staff, players, and fans were all very hopeful about tonight’s game. After a shocking loss to the Braves only five days ago, the Turks were ready to redeem themselves. The game started off promising with solid pitching by sophomore Will Brian and the bases loaded for the Turks on two occasions. What seemed to be an issue was leaving players on base with a total of 10 runners left on.
The first hit of the game for the Turks occurred in the bottom of the fifth when right fielder Aaron Levy stepped up and knocked out a single and was able to stretch it to second base due to a Braves error. Next up, third baseman, Nick Zona hits a single and brings in Levy to score. Second baseman McCann Mellett follows Zona and walks. Trusty hitter Zach Budzik, a shortstop, provides for the Turks with a single to bring in Zona. This continues Budzik’s hitting record with a hit every game this season. First baseman Josh Madole steps up, but despite his leading batting average of .400, he could not bring in his teammates.
The bases are loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning with center-fielder Travis Reifsnider on first from an intentional walk, designated hitter Jack Roberts now on second off his single, and left fielder Jed Bryant now on third from his walk. Levy steps up but strikes out swinging, and Zona follows suit.
The seventh inning ends with three runners left on base for the Turks as well. Roberts walks to first, forcing Madole to advance to second (from his walk), and Mellett to move to third (from his walk). Up at the plate, catcher Caston Peter advances to first from fielder’s choice, but Roberts was putout for the third out.
Clearly, the Turks are doing a good job of waiting for the pitch they want and not settling for anything less because players are in position to score. “Sooner or later, we’re hoping sooner, we are going to start getting the bounces. The guys here are committed and working hard. We just have to get the barrels on the ball,” assistant coach George Lasse said.
On the other side of the game, Brian pitched well to start off the Turks. Not wanting to pitch a game like Sunday’s game, Brain reviewed game notes and stats with Coach George Lasse from their previous match-ups with the Braves. In his five innings on the mound he allowed two runs, but he struck out seven Braves batters.
Braves first baseman powerhouse, Andrew Czech, went up to bat five times, and the Turks struck him out twice. In his three other at-bats, Czech had three hits, two runs, and five RBIs- a performance that cannot be ignored.
The Turks are looking to start a win streak up and are taking it one game at a time. Baseball is a long season with many opportunities to change the outcome, and that is just what they will do. “Losing is not fun. Everyone knows that, and that’s not what the Harrisonburg Turks are about,” Lasse said.
The Turks would like to thank our friends at June is Dairy Month for a successful Pack the Park night filled with delicious treats. We always look forward to hosting with you, and we know our fans enjoy it too.
Up next, the Turks travel to Covington tonight for their 7:00 p.m. match-up and will be home again on Sunday for a Turks double-hitter against Front Royal. The first game will begin at 6:0 p.m.