One swing of the bat turned out to be the difference tonight as a two-out, bases- clearing double in the bottom of the first inning gave Buffalo Gap all the runs it would need to hold off visiting Riverheads 3-1 in a key Shenandoah District contest. The victory could prove key down the stretch as the two teams are battling for position in the Region 1-B tournament a few weeks from now.
The teams only combined for ten total hits in the game as starting pitchers MIcah Canterbury (Gap) and Levi Dunlap (RHS) kept opposing hitters from doing major damage, especially after that first inning blast to left center put the Gap on top 3-0. Canterbury went the distance, allowing only 4 hits, whereas Dunlap pitched a respectable game and scattered six hits over five innings.
For Riverheads it was a case of missed opportunities as the Gladiators twice managed to find runners on both second and third, but in each case they could not get the key hit to bring either or both home. They finally managed to squeeze in a run in the top of the fourth that kept the game within reach but Canterbury was able to prevent any big rally. In their last two games, Riverheads had pulled out victories in the seventh inning after trailing the whole way, but it was not in the cards for them tonight to make it three such games in a row.
Dunlap was replaced in the sixth inning by Logan Austin who may not have brought the Big Red back to win but he did have one of the best individual plays of the night almost as soon as he took the mound. The Bison had led off the sixth with a hit and the next batter attempted to bunt him to second. However the bunt went up in the air about halfway between the plate and the mound. Austin alertly charged it and caught it just before it hit the ground, then gathered himself and fired over to first to easily double up the runner who had been trying to advance.
Games between these two rivals in almost any sport will usually involve controversy and there was a little bit here and there tonight but nothing that really impacted the game. The home plate umpire of course got the usual cat calls over questionable pitches from both sides, but he was also called on to make two judgment calls at the plate. In the final analysis, each team got one of those calls to go its way, so it was pretty much a wash.
Perhaps the real bright spot of this game, no matter which team you were pulling for, was its brevity as the game only took about 1:40 to play. That was appreciated because the weather was typical Bison football style and just 20-30 miles further west, Highland County got snow today and is expecting more tonight.
Riverheads will be back in action at home Friday afternoon when they entertain Fort Defiance. The Gladiators routed the Indians 13-1 on the road in one of their most impressive games of the season, but that will be irrelevant Friday because the Fort has been on a tear lately, including posting a 10-0 shutout over these same Bison. So RHS cannot take the visitors lightly and will need its A game to get back on the winning track.
In other news of interest for Gladiator fans, a number of athletes announced their college choices yesterday in a ceremony at the school. The News Leader website has the full story outlining all their choices and sports but the highlight would be Luke Bryant being accepted at VMI for its wrestling team. That is notable because it is rare for any athlete at one of our small Shenandoah schools to get a Division 1 opportunity. He of course was a major factor in Riverheads' most recent state football championship runs.
The teams only combined for ten total hits in the game as starting pitchers MIcah Canterbury (Gap) and Levi Dunlap (RHS) kept opposing hitters from doing major damage, especially after that first inning blast to left center put the Gap on top 3-0. Canterbury went the distance, allowing only 4 hits, whereas Dunlap pitched a respectable game and scattered six hits over five innings.
For Riverheads it was a case of missed opportunities as the Gladiators twice managed to find runners on both second and third, but in each case they could not get the key hit to bring either or both home. They finally managed to squeeze in a run in the top of the fourth that kept the game within reach but Canterbury was able to prevent any big rally. In their last two games, Riverheads had pulled out victories in the seventh inning after trailing the whole way, but it was not in the cards for them tonight to make it three such games in a row.
Dunlap was replaced in the sixth inning by Logan Austin who may not have brought the Big Red back to win but he did have one of the best individual plays of the night almost as soon as he took the mound. The Bison had led off the sixth with a hit and the next batter attempted to bunt him to second. However the bunt went up in the air about halfway between the plate and the mound. Austin alertly charged it and caught it just before it hit the ground, then gathered himself and fired over to first to easily double up the runner who had been trying to advance.
Games between these two rivals in almost any sport will usually involve controversy and there was a little bit here and there tonight but nothing that really impacted the game. The home plate umpire of course got the usual cat calls over questionable pitches from both sides, but he was also called on to make two judgment calls at the plate. In the final analysis, each team got one of those calls to go its way, so it was pretty much a wash.
Perhaps the real bright spot of this game, no matter which team you were pulling for, was its brevity as the game only took about 1:40 to play. That was appreciated because the weather was typical Bison football style and just 20-30 miles further west, Highland County got snow today and is expecting more tonight.
Riverheads will be back in action at home Friday afternoon when they entertain Fort Defiance. The Gladiators routed the Indians 13-1 on the road in one of their most impressive games of the season, but that will be irrelevant Friday because the Fort has been on a tear lately, including posting a 10-0 shutout over these same Bison. So RHS cannot take the visitors lightly and will need its A game to get back on the winning track.
In other news of interest for Gladiator fans, a number of athletes announced their college choices yesterday in a ceremony at the school. The News Leader website has the full story outlining all their choices and sports but the highlight would be Luke Bryant being accepted at VMI for its wrestling team. That is notable because it is rare for any athlete at one of our small Shenandoah schools to get a Division 1 opportunity. He of course was a major factor in Riverheads' most recent state football championship runs.
