Sometimes in sports you have a game in which fans on both sides walk away saying "What just happened here?" Such was the case in Greenville tonight when the Alleghany Cougars paid Riverheads a visit. Each team came into the game with only one loss, that being to Wilson, and the winner would be able to stay on the Hornets' heels, while the loser would drop two games behind in the loss column.
So it was no great surprise when we had a four-inning pitchers' duel between RHS ace Brody Phillips and the Cougars' Tucker Phillips. (Given the distance between the two schools, we can probably assume no relation.) The Gladiators scratched across single runs in the first and fourth and took a 2-0 lead into the fifth. The Cougars then proceeded to load the bases with two outs, making everyone in attendance think we were headed for a photo finish.
Not only did Brody get out of that jam with a ground out, but the Gladiators then rocked the visitors for 8 runs in the home half of the inning, and before anyone could realize what was happening, it was over with a five-inning, 10-0 slaughter rule victory that sent the Cougars back out I-64 with their second loss in the last three days after starting the season 8-0.
The primary culprit that led to Alleghany's undoing was walks to the lead-off batter in all three of those fateful innings. The Cougars learned the hard way that you just don't give Riverheads a base-runner with nobody out and expect the Gladiators to squander the opportunity.
In the first inning, Brody as the lead-off batter walked on four pitches from Tucker. He then stole second as the throw sailed into center field. First baseman Holden Fitzgerald then brought him home on a solid single to give RHS a very early 1-0 lead.
That score stood until the top of the fourth when it was Ethan Mulcahy's turn to lead off. It was a feel-good story to even have him in the line-up. As most Gladiator fans are aware, he had been out of action for all of his junior year and most of his senior year. After missing all of football and basketball season in both those years, he was determined to go out with a bang, and he certainly showed that today.
His walk was much more dramatic than Brody's as he took Tucker to a full count before getting the free pass. He then stole both second and third and scored on a wild pitch. In all three cases, he dove into the bag head first. Pity the poor soul who has to clean that uniform!
His determination sent the teams into the 5th with RHS on top 2-0 and put the Cougars in position to not only score but possibly take the lead. Brody had thrown 58 pitches through the first four innings, and the Cougars coaxed 18 more out of him before the solid Gladiator defense ended the threat.
Speaking of that defense, they were smoking today as the Cougars hit some solid grounders to the infield that could have been trouble. But time after time the Big Red dug them out and Fitzgerald had some tough stretches at first but came through every time.
As we moved to the bottom of the fifth, nobody could have sensed what was coming. This time it was sophomore Daniel Craig's turn to draw a lead-off walk. That came off senior Trey Cook, who had just come on to relieve Tucker Phillips.
It was just not going to be his day however as he had almost no control and walked in at least three of those eight Gladiator runs, before the Big Red bats came to life and knocked at least three or four hits into the outfield. It was almost like one of those "everybody is a hitter" games but yet the onslaught happened quickly because some of those hits came on the first pitch.
Somewhere along the line, the Cougars tried a third senior pitcher, I believe it was Graham Brewster. If that is accurate, he was on the mound when freshman Jackson Berkstresser crossed the plate with the deciding 10th run to end the game.
As mentioned, the Gladiators remain one game behind Wilson and will get their chance to even the score later in the season, after Wilson took a tight 2-1 decision on its home field. But for now, the next two games for RHS will be a chilly Monday night game in Staunton and a warm-again Thursday night home date with Waynesboro.
Alleghany fans salvaged at least something for their trouble tonight as they pounded out a win over the Lady Gladiators in softball. The last score I read was something like 12-2 in the fourth, so that one may have been a run-rule affair also.
So it was no great surprise when we had a four-inning pitchers' duel between RHS ace Brody Phillips and the Cougars' Tucker Phillips. (Given the distance between the two schools, we can probably assume no relation.) The Gladiators scratched across single runs in the first and fourth and took a 2-0 lead into the fifth. The Cougars then proceeded to load the bases with two outs, making everyone in attendance think we were headed for a photo finish.
Not only did Brody get out of that jam with a ground out, but the Gladiators then rocked the visitors for 8 runs in the home half of the inning, and before anyone could realize what was happening, it was over with a five-inning, 10-0 slaughter rule victory that sent the Cougars back out I-64 with their second loss in the last three days after starting the season 8-0.
The primary culprit that led to Alleghany's undoing was walks to the lead-off batter in all three of those fateful innings. The Cougars learned the hard way that you just don't give Riverheads a base-runner with nobody out and expect the Gladiators to squander the opportunity.
In the first inning, Brody as the lead-off batter walked on four pitches from Tucker. He then stole second as the throw sailed into center field. First baseman Holden Fitzgerald then brought him home on a solid single to give RHS a very early 1-0 lead.
That score stood until the top of the fourth when it was Ethan Mulcahy's turn to lead off. It was a feel-good story to even have him in the line-up. As most Gladiator fans are aware, he had been out of action for all of his junior year and most of his senior year. After missing all of football and basketball season in both those years, he was determined to go out with a bang, and he certainly showed that today.
His walk was much more dramatic than Brody's as he took Tucker to a full count before getting the free pass. He then stole both second and third and scored on a wild pitch. In all three cases, he dove into the bag head first. Pity the poor soul who has to clean that uniform!
His determination sent the teams into the 5th with RHS on top 2-0 and put the Cougars in position to not only score but possibly take the lead. Brody had thrown 58 pitches through the first four innings, and the Cougars coaxed 18 more out of him before the solid Gladiator defense ended the threat.
Speaking of that defense, they were smoking today as the Cougars hit some solid grounders to the infield that could have been trouble. But time after time the Big Red dug them out and Fitzgerald had some tough stretches at first but came through every time.
As we moved to the bottom of the fifth, nobody could have sensed what was coming. This time it was sophomore Daniel Craig's turn to draw a lead-off walk. That came off senior Trey Cook, who had just come on to relieve Tucker Phillips.
It was just not going to be his day however as he had almost no control and walked in at least three of those eight Gladiator runs, before the Big Red bats came to life and knocked at least three or four hits into the outfield. It was almost like one of those "everybody is a hitter" games but yet the onslaught happened quickly because some of those hits came on the first pitch.
Somewhere along the line, the Cougars tried a third senior pitcher, I believe it was Graham Brewster. If that is accurate, he was on the mound when freshman Jackson Berkstresser crossed the plate with the deciding 10th run to end the game.
As mentioned, the Gladiators remain one game behind Wilson and will get their chance to even the score later in the season, after Wilson took a tight 2-1 decision on its home field. But for now, the next two games for RHS will be a chilly Monday night game in Staunton and a warm-again Thursday night home date with Waynesboro.
Alleghany fans salvaged at least something for their trouble tonight as they pounded out a win over the Lady Gladiators in softball. The last score I read was something like 12-2 in the fourth, so that one may have been a run-rule affair also.