Riverheads' John Dudley pitched a complete-game three-hitter this afternoon as the Big Red tightened up the Shenandoah District race with a 3-0 win. The Page pitcher (long name that begins with a T) pitched a great game of his own as RHS also only scratched out three hits.
The key to the Gladiator win was that they never allowed the Panthers to get anything established in any one innning. In the first six frames, the Big Red got the first two batters out, keeping Page from getting anything going. Finally in the seventh, Page did manage to get a base-runner on board with only one out, and moved him to second on a sacrifice. But with runners on first and second, Dudley bore down and struck out the final man to preserve the shut-out.
Riverheads won the game in the fourth when Chase Armstrong started off with a solid hit to center field. The Gladiators then used consecutive bunts, one of which was mishandled for an error, to load the bases with no outs. They used a sacrifice fly by Taz Miller to score the first run, and plated a second to give them all the runs they would need.
They added one more tally in the fifth as Austin Tomlin started things off with a hit and eventually came around. Page never seriously threatened after that.
I might have a detail or name wrong here and there, since I post from memory, but the important point to make is that it was a classic pitcher's duel, with the Armstrong hit and the error on the bunt making the difference. The Gladiators cannot rest on their laurels, as they now face Wilson on consecutive days, hosting the Hornets in a make-up game on Thursday, then traveling to Fishersville on Friday.
The key to the Gladiator win was that they never allowed the Panthers to get anything established in any one innning. In the first six frames, the Big Red got the first two batters out, keeping Page from getting anything going. Finally in the seventh, Page did manage to get a base-runner on board with only one out, and moved him to second on a sacrifice. But with runners on first and second, Dudley bore down and struck out the final man to preserve the shut-out.
Riverheads won the game in the fourth when Chase Armstrong started off with a solid hit to center field. The Gladiators then used consecutive bunts, one of which was mishandled for an error, to load the bases with no outs. They used a sacrifice fly by Taz Miller to score the first run, and plated a second to give them all the runs they would need.
They added one more tally in the fifth as Austin Tomlin started things off with a hit and eventually came around. Page never seriously threatened after that.
I might have a detail or name wrong here and there, since I post from memory, but the important point to make is that it was a classic pitcher's duel, with the Armstrong hit and the error on the bunt making the difference. The Gladiators cannot rest on their laurels, as they now face Wilson on consecutive days, hosting the Hornets in a make-up game on Thursday, then traveling to Fishersville on Friday.
