In a rather weird game that seemed to drag on forever, the Riverheads Gladiators pounded visiting James River 14-4 to move to 5-2 on the season. The game ended in the bottom of the sixth when the fourth JR pitcher of the night walked in a pair of Gladiator runs allowing the margin to reach 10.
However, there was a time when the game was very much in doubt as JR had a three-run top of the fourth to climb to within 5-4, but RHS retaliated with a five-run burst of its own in the bottom of that inning, then added two more in the fifth and the final two freebies to cap off the evening. A Jaden Phillips triple highlighted the big fourth.
Although the Gladiators posted their highest run total of the season, the vast majority of them were unearned as the visiting Knights had a pretty rough time of it both fielding and pitching. We did not have our usual announcer who keeps us posted on the line score and gives us game totals as the field empties, but my personal guess would be that the Big Red did not have more than half a dozen hits in the game.
Instead at least four of the runs scored via the free pass, another scored on a passed ball, and the Knights probably had between 6 and 8 fielding errors that allowed Gladiator runners to score or advance. So it was just not a day to be a Knight (get it? day? night/Knight?) and it could not be blamed on the weather because, although it was a tad chilly, we did not have the typical Greenville wind kicking up the dust.
The Gladiators were their usual aggressive selves on the base paths as numerous stolen bases helped the cause as well. However, the celebration for this one should be short and sweet as the Gladiators now need to focus on Friday's visit from district powerhouse Page County.
However, there was a time when the game was very much in doubt as JR had a three-run top of the fourth to climb to within 5-4, but RHS retaliated with a five-run burst of its own in the bottom of that inning, then added two more in the fifth and the final two freebies to cap off the evening. A Jaden Phillips triple highlighted the big fourth.
Although the Gladiators posted their highest run total of the season, the vast majority of them were unearned as the visiting Knights had a pretty rough time of it both fielding and pitching. We did not have our usual announcer who keeps us posted on the line score and gives us game totals as the field empties, but my personal guess would be that the Big Red did not have more than half a dozen hits in the game.
Instead at least four of the runs scored via the free pass, another scored on a passed ball, and the Knights probably had between 6 and 8 fielding errors that allowed Gladiator runners to score or advance. So it was just not a day to be a Knight (get it? day? night/Knight?) and it could not be blamed on the weather because, although it was a tad chilly, we did not have the typical Greenville wind kicking up the dust.
The Gladiators were their usual aggressive selves on the base paths as numerous stolen bases helped the cause as well. However, the celebration for this one should be short and sweet as the Gladiators now need to focus on Friday's visit from district powerhouse Page County.
