Riverheads scored all the runs it would need in a wild second inning as the Big Red rolled all over East Rock 14-4 tonight in a game that was finally called by the slaughter rule in the bottom of the sixth. The Gladiators are now 12-4 on the season as they avenged an earlier one-run defeat in Elkton.
Both teams hit the ball well in the first but squandered their opportunities. The Eagles had two solid hits in their first at-bat but stranded both runners and Riverheads also stroked it well but only plated one run and left the sacks full.
The Gladiators then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second before the Eagles could even record the first out. RHS did its damage on only three hits as the Eagles were frankly their own worst enemy. They used three pitchers in the frame and all three had major control issues as three RHS runs were scored on walks and a fourth on a hit by pitch. The Eagles finally lucked out on a line-drive double play to get themselves out of the jam without further damage.
East Rock then got its big play of the night as they hit a two-out three-run homer that just barely cleared the fence in left center. Closing the gap to 7-3 that early in the game might have ordinarily been cause for hope, but Riverheads quickly squelched that idea as they scored four more in the bottom of the third to go up 11-3. That started the chatter in the stands wondering if and when the slaughter rule would come into effect.
RHS scored one more in the fourth and left the 13th run that might have done it stranded on third base. After a scoreless fifth, The Eagles then pushed across a harmless run to make it 12-4 before Riverheads staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth using primarily subs to score the final two runs that ended the game half an inning earlier than the required 6 1/2.
The Gladiators played error-free ball and pounded out 15 hits in one of their better performances of the season, scoring at least one run in every inning except the fifth. Austin Craft did the job on the mound as he scattered seven mostly-harmless hits. The round-tripper was the only real blemish on a solid overall game. Freshman Elijah Dunlap relieved him in the top of the sixth.
The Big Red would like nothing better than to keep the momentum going into a Friday home date with league-leading Page County, but my money is on the weather preventing it from happening on that particular day. The important thing to note is that RHS is still solidly in first place in the Conference 44 playoff picture and is almost guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game in a couple of weeks.
Both teams hit the ball well in the first but squandered their opportunities. The Eagles had two solid hits in their first at-bat but stranded both runners and Riverheads also stroked it well but only plated one run and left the sacks full.
The Gladiators then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second before the Eagles could even record the first out. RHS did its damage on only three hits as the Eagles were frankly their own worst enemy. They used three pitchers in the frame and all three had major control issues as three RHS runs were scored on walks and a fourth on a hit by pitch. The Eagles finally lucked out on a line-drive double play to get themselves out of the jam without further damage.
East Rock then got its big play of the night as they hit a two-out three-run homer that just barely cleared the fence in left center. Closing the gap to 7-3 that early in the game might have ordinarily been cause for hope, but Riverheads quickly squelched that idea as they scored four more in the bottom of the third to go up 11-3. That started the chatter in the stands wondering if and when the slaughter rule would come into effect.
RHS scored one more in the fourth and left the 13th run that might have done it stranded on third base. After a scoreless fifth, The Eagles then pushed across a harmless run to make it 12-4 before Riverheads staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth using primarily subs to score the final two runs that ended the game half an inning earlier than the required 6 1/2.
The Gladiators played error-free ball and pounded out 15 hits in one of their better performances of the season, scoring at least one run in every inning except the fifth. Austin Craft did the job on the mound as he scattered seven mostly-harmless hits. The round-tripper was the only real blemish on a solid overall game. Freshman Elijah Dunlap relieved him in the top of the sixth.
The Big Red would like nothing better than to keep the momentum going into a Friday home date with league-leading Page County, but my money is on the weather preventing it from happening on that particular day. The important thing to note is that RHS is still solidly in first place in the Conference 44 playoff picture and is almost guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game in a couple of weeks.