Kuhn Saves Riverheads in District Opener

[longtimerhsfan]

Playing their fifth straight road game to open the season, but more importantly their Shenandoah District opener, the Riverheads Gladiators turned to pitcher Carson Kuhn, who worked the last four innings to save a tense 6-5 victory over Stuarts Draft. The close game was quite a change of pace for the Big Red as they had pummeled their first four opponents by a combined 49-10. That just goes to show that the competition may be a bit tougher here in Augusta County as all four of those wins had involved northerly trips up I-81.

This was my first game of the season, so I will need another game or two to learn all the names, but both starting pitchers had serious control problems from the get go. As a result the score was 5-4 after three innings before things settled into more of a pitchers' duel with each team scoring only once in the final four innings. Of those first 9 runs that the teams plated, most of them came in on walks or as the result of errors. In fact for the entire game, I would be surprised to hear if either team had more than six legitimate hits.

The Cougars got the party started in the bottom of the first as the Gladiator starter experienced some early wildness, allowing the home team to plate a pair of runs. The damage could have been worse as they left the sacks loaded, which happened more than once tonight.

The Gladiators then took the lead for good with a five-spot in the top half of the third.

 

[longtimerhsfan]

Well if you folks have been regular readers of my posts for the last year or so, we have been down this road before............meaning that I had OF COURSE finished my recap of the game, but when I hit the post button, this damn possessed machine of mine decided to only post what it wanted to post. But this time instead of giving up and calling it a night, I will try again.

He had not yet taken the mound but Kuhn had the key hit of that Gladiator third. With the bases loaded, he hit one down the third base line that should have been an easy force out. Instead the ball skipped though the wickets and into left field. That plated two runs and by the time the Big Red was finished the score was 5-2, a lead they would not relinquish.

Kuhn then took the mound to protect that cushion, but ironically his first inning was his shakiest as the Cougars got two of those runs back to close to within 5-4. But you know these two county rivals were not going to play a game without controversy, and that came on the call that ended the third.

SD had already closed the gap to 5-4, with two outs but had the bases loaded, hoping for more. The batter worked Kuhn to a full count, which set the stage for about as much drama as anyone could want. So on that 3-2 count, the home plate umpire asked the base umpire to be the bad guy and to the immediate disgust of the Cougar faithful, he gave the "yes he did" signal and the inning ended with RHS still on top 5-4.

After two scoreless innings, the Cougars tied things up in the bottom of the sixth. The lead-off man hit a deep one to right field that the Gladiator outfielder had trouble finding, to the point that it momentarily looked like we could see the rare inside the park homer. But he was held up at third and eventually scored. Before the inning ended, the Cougars had a potential lead run nailed at the plate when they tried to score on a wild pitch.

RHS then won it in the top of the 7th when the lead-off man reached safely, stole second, took third on a fielder's choice, and then came home when a grounder to the shortstop was bobbled "just enough" to allow everyone to be safe.

Kuhn would have had every right to be nervous heading into the home half of the seventh. Instead he set the Cougars down in order in an at-bat that was over in less than five minutes.

Not the prettiest game by either team but RHS will take their 5-0 record into their home opener Tuesday against Wilson. First pitch will be at 5:00 as always due to the unlighted field. The weatherman is promising sunshine but only 53 degrees, so bundle up.