Written by Brien Krug
Turks Staff Writer
June 21, 2021

Following a split in Sunday’s doubleheader, where the offense found its groove in game 2 scoring a season-high 11 runs, the Turks (5-6) traveled to Covington to take on South division opponent, the Covington Lumberjacks (4-8).

After a silent 1st inning for both teams, the Turks would score first in the 2nd thanks to a Frederic Walter 2 run single that scored Crispin and Safferwich. After another shutout inning from the Turks starter Will Mercer (0-0, 9.00 ERA) the Turks would extend their lead in the 3rd.

A lead-off ground-rule double followed by a single had the Turks in business with runners at the corners with no one out. Connor Hartigan would then hit a 1 out single that scored Lockett would end the day for Covington starter Nick Romagnola. The new Lumberjacks pitcher would walk back-to-back hitters to score another run for the Turks. A sac fly from Reece Yeargain would extend the Harrisonburg lead to 5-0 early in the game.

Mercer would then run into some trouble in the bottom half of the 3rd. A leadoff walk and a one-out single had Covington in a precarious situation as Mercer’s day would end leaving runners at the corners for his reliever Brett Whiteman. Whiteman would come in and hold the Jack’s rally to only 1 run.

The score would remain the same until the Top of the 7th when the Turks would bat around and pile it on the Lumberjacks. A lead-off walk from pinch hitter Cameron Barto would get the inning started for Harrisonburg. After a Lockett strikeout, the Turks would put 4 batters on in a row, highlighted by a 2 RBI single from Hartigan and an RBI single from Peyton Crispin but they were not finished yet. A pop-out to 2nd would record the 2nd out for the Turks before catcher Reece Yeargin would lace his first home run of the year out to center to cap off a 6 run inning giving Harrisonburg the 11-1 lead.

Covington would respond right back in the bottom half of the inning. A 2 out two-RBI single from Lumberjack 1st baseman Nathan Becker would cut the Turks lead to 8 and all of a sudden the lead didn’t seem so insurmountable. However, the Turks would put the game to bed in the next half-inning courtesy of a sac fly from Jordan Sweeney. Covington would add another run in the 8th but the Turks would go on to win the game by a score of 12-4 and move back to .500 at 6-6.

Harrisonburg has the day off tomorrow before they travel to Staunton on Wednesday to take on the Staunton Braves (5-10) in the first of a little home and home series between the two with the first pitch coming at 7:30 PM.