Any time these two get together in any sport, it is almost always a slobberknocker, as someone used to say. Tonight was no exception as the homestanding Green Hornets scored in every inning but one and built as much as a 7-0 lead, only to see Riverheads come to life in the final two innings and actually bring the tying run to the plate before Wilson held on to win 8-5.
Last year's game at the Hornet Hive had ended in controversy with each team blaming the other, and fans were talking about that as tonight's game started. Well we didn't even get to finish one inning before there was an incident but at least this time there appeared to be no question about who was at fault.
Riverheads had gone down quickly in the top of the first and when the Hornets came to bat, it only took Gladiator starter Asher Falls one pitch to record the first out. But then all heck broke loose before the inning could be completed.
First of all the Gladiators developed a weird case of butterfingers and threw the ball away at least three or four times before they could record a second out. It was a miracle that Wilson was only able to plate two runs.
The Gladiators then recorded the third out in routine fashion when the Wilson pitcher Ryan McDaniel hit into a grounder. Now I personally had looked away and did not see what happened next, but based on the reaction from the Gladiator crowd and from the report I got from someone who did see it, McDaniel apparently plowed right into the Big Red's first baseman Henley Dunlap with arms raised and with no doubt whatsoever that his intent was to run him down. I was told that Dunlap did actually go down from the force of the collision.
As I said I did not see it, so if anyone has anything to add or modify, feel free to do so, but whatever happened, RHS fans howled for his ejection but the boys in blue were already on top of it, so he was given the boot. For the rest of the game, those same Gladiator fans wondered out loud why he was allowed to remain in the dugout as opposed to being made to leave the stadium.
After that inning ended, there was no further controversy, and Wilson built its 7-0 lead after five, mainly due to solid hitting and another RHS error or two. At that point, it looked as if Gladiator fans would be happy if at least "something" would happen so as to avoid a shutout.
Well that "something" finally happened in the top of the sixth when Dunlap rocketed one over the left field fence to put Riverheads on the board. That was his fourth homer of the season and ironically they have all been hit to almost exactly the same spot in left. However, he has hit all four of them in enemy territory (Waynesboro, Buffalo Gap, Fort Defiance, and now Wilson.) So with him due to graduate in a few weeks, and with Riverheads only having a few more home games, it would be nice if he could knock one down on to the Gladiator football field before he leaves for bigger and better things.
Tonight's roundtripper was followed almost immediately by a solid triple from Logan Austin who also came around to score. Wilson then added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-2.
By that time, the Hornets were on their third or fourth pitcher, so at least the Big Red made them earn it as Riverheads tallied three more times in the top of the seventh and had two men on base and the tying run at the plate when the game ended on a put out at first.
Meanwhile we heard quite a bit of racket from the softball field next door. My understanding is that Riverheads built a 4-1 lead but Wilson rallied back in the 7th to close it to 4-3 before the Gladiators won it on a strikeout. It was the second straight one-run decision for RHS.
Last year's game at the Hornet Hive had ended in controversy with each team blaming the other, and fans were talking about that as tonight's game started. Well we didn't even get to finish one inning before there was an incident but at least this time there appeared to be no question about who was at fault.
Riverheads had gone down quickly in the top of the first and when the Hornets came to bat, it only took Gladiator starter Asher Falls one pitch to record the first out. But then all heck broke loose before the inning could be completed.
First of all the Gladiators developed a weird case of butterfingers and threw the ball away at least three or four times before they could record a second out. It was a miracle that Wilson was only able to plate two runs.
The Gladiators then recorded the third out in routine fashion when the Wilson pitcher Ryan McDaniel hit into a grounder. Now I personally had looked away and did not see what happened next, but based on the reaction from the Gladiator crowd and from the report I got from someone who did see it, McDaniel apparently plowed right into the Big Red's first baseman Henley Dunlap with arms raised and with no doubt whatsoever that his intent was to run him down. I was told that Dunlap did actually go down from the force of the collision.
As I said I did not see it, so if anyone has anything to add or modify, feel free to do so, but whatever happened, RHS fans howled for his ejection but the boys in blue were already on top of it, so he was given the boot. For the rest of the game, those same Gladiator fans wondered out loud why he was allowed to remain in the dugout as opposed to being made to leave the stadium.
After that inning ended, there was no further controversy, and Wilson built its 7-0 lead after five, mainly due to solid hitting and another RHS error or two. At that point, it looked as if Gladiator fans would be happy if at least "something" would happen so as to avoid a shutout.
Well that "something" finally happened in the top of the sixth when Dunlap rocketed one over the left field fence to put Riverheads on the board. That was his fourth homer of the season and ironically they have all been hit to almost exactly the same spot in left. However, he has hit all four of them in enemy territory (Waynesboro, Buffalo Gap, Fort Defiance, and now Wilson.) So with him due to graduate in a few weeks, and with Riverheads only having a few more home games, it would be nice if he could knock one down on to the Gladiator football field before he leaves for bigger and better things.
Tonight's roundtripper was followed almost immediately by a solid triple from Logan Austin who also came around to score. Wilson then added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-2.
By that time, the Hornets were on their third or fourth pitcher, so at least the Big Red made them earn it as Riverheads tallied three more times in the top of the seventh and had two men on base and the tying run at the plate when the game ended on a put out at first.
Meanwhile we heard quite a bit of racket from the softball field next door. My understanding is that Riverheads built a 4-1 lead but Wilson rallied back in the 7th to close it to 4-3 before the Gladiators won it on a strikeout. It was the second straight one-run decision for RHS.
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