Home runs flew into the night one after another on Friday as the Turks outlasted the Culpeper Cavaliers in a 9-8 slugfest. The Turks head into the all-star weekend with a 12-8 record, good for second place in the South Division behind only the Charlottesville TomSox.

The Cavaliers grabbed an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning. Culpeper shortstop Connor Maryniak hit an RBI double to center field, scoring second baseman Rett Johnson. Right fielder Bennett Fryman began the home run parade later in the inning with a two-run blast to right-center field. That was the first of five home runs in this game between the two teams.

The Turks roared back in the fourth inning with five runs to take the lead. Designated hitter Luke Hatcher hit his second grand slam of the season to center field, his team-leading fifth home run. Hatcher will be competing in the Valley League Home Run Derby and leads the league with a .375 batting average among qualified players. 

“It felt better than the first [grand slam],” Hatcher said. “We needed it more tonight. We were trailing there, but we took the lead and ran away with it.”

Two Turks picked up their first home runs of the season in the ninth inning. Shortstop Jose Perez lashed the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a solo shot, and left fielder Chris Katz hit a towering fly ball to nearly the same spot two batters later. Katz leads the Turks with 22 RBI, good for second in the Valley League.

“It felt amazing,” Perez said. “I knew it was a fastball. They walked me earlier, so I felt like [the pitcher] was going to [throw] in the zone, and I was ready for a heater.”

Though the Turks held a 9-5 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, Culpeper did not go down quietly. The Cavaliers collected a walk followed by four consecutive hits to score Johnson, Maryniak and third baseman John Howard, shrinking the lead to one run. With Culpeper’s winning run standing on second base, Turks pitcher Carson Morton struck out the final two Cavalier batters to seal the Turks fourth straight win. 

“I thought I was having a heart attack,” head coach Bob Wease said. “But we’re right where we want to be.”

The Turks will return to action on Monday when they host the Charlottesville TomSox at 7:30 p.m. Harrisonburg will also send four representatives to the Valley League All-Star game, as Hatcher and Katz will suit up alongside catcher Matt Delgado and pitcher Hudson Lee.