Aidan Miller was the man of the hour for Riverheads this evening as he twirled a one-hitter at visiting Waynesboro and more than supported himself at the plate with a double, then a triple, and finally a walk-off grand slam as the Big Red run-ruled the Little Giants 13-0. It was the Gladiators' third straight double-digit win after posting routs of Staunton and Luray last week.
The irony of this game is that the Waynesboro pitching staff was doing a decent enough job keeping them in the game until Riverheads blew the hinges off with a 10-run bottom of the fifth. The Giants' starter had struck out the side in the bottom of the second, leaving RHS clinging to a 1-0 lead at that point, and the game was still very much in doubt at 3-0 when the home team came up to bat in that fateful fifth.
But the Gladiators sent 12 men to the plate and when Bennett Dunlap walked to load the bases, Miller stepped up and unloaded a no-doubter over the left center field fence. He and a couple teammates had been flirting with the fences all night as at least two other long-balls bounced off it and back on to the field. So this game was significantly different than the Gladiators' last home game, when they literally "stole" a victory from Luray with a base-swiping clinic over the helpless Bulldogs.
With tonight's win, the Big Red is now 3-5 in district play and with games remaining against Waynesboro, SD, BG and FD, you have to like the Big Red's chances for at least a break-even season in the tough Shenandoah. My sources tell me that the Gladiators are also in a good position for a Region 1-B playoff berth. They will continue their late-season push Friday with a trip to Stuarts Draft, weather-permitting.
In other Riverheads news, congratulations to the newly-appointed Athletic Director, Adam Mulcahy. He is a 2001 Riverheads graduate who excelled on some of Coach Casto's early football teams and will be coming back to RHS after about a 15-year coaching/teaching stint at Western Albemarle. But you know what they say..........Once a Gladiator, Always a Gladiator......so are we really that surprised that he would want to come back home?????
The irony of this game is that the Waynesboro pitching staff was doing a decent enough job keeping them in the game until Riverheads blew the hinges off with a 10-run bottom of the fifth. The Giants' starter had struck out the side in the bottom of the second, leaving RHS clinging to a 1-0 lead at that point, and the game was still very much in doubt at 3-0 when the home team came up to bat in that fateful fifth.
But the Gladiators sent 12 men to the plate and when Bennett Dunlap walked to load the bases, Miller stepped up and unloaded a no-doubter over the left center field fence. He and a couple teammates had been flirting with the fences all night as at least two other long-balls bounced off it and back on to the field. So this game was significantly different than the Gladiators' last home game, when they literally "stole" a victory from Luray with a base-swiping clinic over the helpless Bulldogs.
With tonight's win, the Big Red is now 3-5 in district play and with games remaining against Waynesboro, SD, BG and FD, you have to like the Big Red's chances for at least a break-even season in the tough Shenandoah. My sources tell me that the Gladiators are also in a good position for a Region 1-B playoff berth. They will continue their late-season push Friday with a trip to Stuarts Draft, weather-permitting.
In other Riverheads news, congratulations to the newly-appointed Athletic Director, Adam Mulcahy. He is a 2001 Riverheads graduate who excelled on some of Coach Casto's early football teams and will be coming back to RHS after about a 15-year coaching/teaching stint at Western Albemarle. But you know what they say..........Once a Gladiator, Always a Gladiator......so are we really that surprised that he would want to come back home?????
