It had been two years since arch-rivals Riverheads and Wilson Memorial last met on the diamond, but they more than made up for lost time tonight with a real donnybrook at the Hive, finally won 10-8 by the visiting Gladiators but not without a little controversy, which is almost the norm when these two tangle in any sport. The Pride was opening its season whereas Wilson already had at least one game under its belt I believe.
For most of the game the Hornets appeared to be in control, especially after a four-run spurt in the bottom of the third gave them their biggest lead of the night at 6-3. But Riverheads outscored the hosts 7-2 the rest of the way, highlighted by a four-run burst of its own in the top of the sixth that proved to be the deciding rally.
With Wilson clinging to a 7-6 lead, Aidan Miller led off the frame with a triple that rolled into the deepest part of the left field corner. The junior shortstop ran so hard stretching it into a three-bagger that he needed a stoppage in action before play could continue. When play did resume, it looked as if Wilson was going to dodge a bullet and leave him stranded there, as the Hornet reliever retired the next two batters.
Whether or not they had any rally caps on hand for the occasion, the Gladiators then produced their four runs and moved ahead 10-7 before Wilson could finally retire the side. The key hit was a line drive from Trent Thompson that hugged the third-base stripe and drove in two runs. The home plate ump clearly indicated in real time that it was a fair ball and after a protest from Wilson's Coach Cullen, the call stood and the game moved on. Wilson then answered with a final run in the bottom of the sixth to make things interesting.
After a scoreless top of the 7th, the Hornets gave their fans one more heart palpitation as they opened the home half of the frame with back to back singles. That prompted Riverheads skipper Rodney Painter to move catcher Ryan Farris from behind the plate to the mound, becoming the fourth Gladiator hurler of the night.
The smart money might have still been on the home team, as they had already established momentum in the inning with those two hits, not to mention that Farris was coming in cold in a high-pressure situation in the very first game of the season. But the junior calmly struck out the first man he faced. The game then ended somewhat anti-climactically as Miller fielded a sharply hit ball just to the left of second base. He stepped on the bag and fired to first for the Big Red's only double play of the night, giving us an ending so quick that some of us (myself included) were not quite sure that it really was all over.
As one would have expected this early in the season, play was not as sharp as the coaches would like to have seen. There was quite an assortment of wild pitches, errant throws to first, misplaced fly balls, and grounders that rolled between the wickets. In fact one particular Wilson hit skipped past one Gladiator and then his back-up as well. But when the chips were down, the Big Red got the two big knocks they needed in the sixth, followed by the game-ending DP.
This win against the Class 3 Hornets will no doubt help Riverheads' post-season position a few weeks down the road. Next up for the Gladiators will be their home opener Thursday against Staunton.
For most of the game the Hornets appeared to be in control, especially after a four-run spurt in the bottom of the third gave them their biggest lead of the night at 6-3. But Riverheads outscored the hosts 7-2 the rest of the way, highlighted by a four-run burst of its own in the top of the sixth that proved to be the deciding rally.
With Wilson clinging to a 7-6 lead, Aidan Miller led off the frame with a triple that rolled into the deepest part of the left field corner. The junior shortstop ran so hard stretching it into a three-bagger that he needed a stoppage in action before play could continue. When play did resume, it looked as if Wilson was going to dodge a bullet and leave him stranded there, as the Hornet reliever retired the next two batters.
Whether or not they had any rally caps on hand for the occasion, the Gladiators then produced their four runs and moved ahead 10-7 before Wilson could finally retire the side. The key hit was a line drive from Trent Thompson that hugged the third-base stripe and drove in two runs. The home plate ump clearly indicated in real time that it was a fair ball and after a protest from Wilson's Coach Cullen, the call stood and the game moved on. Wilson then answered with a final run in the bottom of the sixth to make things interesting.
After a scoreless top of the 7th, the Hornets gave their fans one more heart palpitation as they opened the home half of the frame with back to back singles. That prompted Riverheads skipper Rodney Painter to move catcher Ryan Farris from behind the plate to the mound, becoming the fourth Gladiator hurler of the night.
The smart money might have still been on the home team, as they had already established momentum in the inning with those two hits, not to mention that Farris was coming in cold in a high-pressure situation in the very first game of the season. But the junior calmly struck out the first man he faced. The game then ended somewhat anti-climactically as Miller fielded a sharply hit ball just to the left of second base. He stepped on the bag and fired to first for the Big Red's only double play of the night, giving us an ending so quick that some of us (myself included) were not quite sure that it really was all over.
As one would have expected this early in the season, play was not as sharp as the coaches would like to have seen. There was quite an assortment of wild pitches, errant throws to first, misplaced fly balls, and grounders that rolled between the wickets. In fact one particular Wilson hit skipped past one Gladiator and then his back-up as well. But when the chips were down, the Big Red got the two big knocks they needed in the sixth, followed by the game-ending DP.
This win against the Class 3 Hornets will no doubt help Riverheads' post-season position a few weeks down the road. Next up for the Gladiators will be their home opener Thursday against Staunton.
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