After losing consecutive games to Buffalo Gap and Staunton and running the risk of losing their Shenandoah District lead, the Wilson Memorial Green Hornets rebounded in a big way tonight by rolling over Riverheads 8-1 on the Gladiators' home diamond. The win avenged an earlier home loss to the Big Red that had been Wilson's only loss of the season until last week.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of this game was the fact that it even got played. For the second day in a row, every weatherman within a hundred miles was predicting showers and thunderstorms but just like yesterday, those held off and the game was played in perfect weather. There wasn't even a typical Greenville breeze kicking up any dust.
Things started off promisingly for the home team as they dodged a Hornet bullet in the top of the first inning. Starting Gladiator pitcher Bennett Dunlap, who has been used sparingly this season due to an injury, walked the first two guys he faced, immediately putting a Green Hornet in scoring position. But the sophomore fanned the next batter and then his defense stepped up to record the final two outs, squelching WM's first threat of the evening.
The Big Red then scored in the home half of the inning as Landon Lightner walked, stole second, and came home on a strong double to straightaway center by Ryan Farris. Unfortunately for Big Red fans, that would be the last run of the evening as Hornet hurler Matt Bobsin (sp.?), whom I believe is only a freshman, handcuffed Riverheads the rest of the way.
The top of the second was a repeat for Wilson, only this time they opened the inning with consecutive hits to get the first two guys on board. But again RHS stepped up on defense and kept them off the scoreboard. Finally in the third, the Hornets touched Dunlap for a pair of runs to take the lead for good.
In one of the quirkiest stats you will ever read, each team needed only four pitches to retire the other in a VERY quick fourth inning. That left the score at 2-1 and it looked as if we were headed for a photo finish.
RHS brought in Farris to relieve Dunlap in the fifth. The junior right-hander, normally the starting Gladiator catcher, had earned the save at Wilson in RHS' first game of the season as well as a later win at Fort Defiance, but this was not to be his night to earn another save. He hit two Hornets right off the bat (pun not intended) and that started a big inning for the visitors. They had a couple of timely hits, helped along by some RHS fielding miscues, and by the time the inning ended, Wilson was comfortably in front 6-1. They then added two more in the top of the 7th to remove all doubt about the outcome.
The satisfying victory puts Wilson back in control of the district race, assuming they only have one more game left. Riverheads now faces the daunting task of playing its third game in three days as they must travel to Stuarts Draft Wednesday afternoon. Again the threat of rain will be there and the Gladiators might even hope for it, as they used four pitchers tonight to try and slow down the Hornet attack and could use the rest.
This is the last week of the regular season for all Shenandoah teams. Since there is no district tournament, the playoffs start next week and I would assume most of our schools will qualify. Since our teams play in three different classifications, there will be all kind of chances for one or more of them to get hot, advance deep, and maybe even challenge for a state title. Once those state titles have been awarded, whoever wins them, can we then dare to dream about a "normal" 2021-22 sports year????
Perhaps the biggest surprise of this game was the fact that it even got played. For the second day in a row, every weatherman within a hundred miles was predicting showers and thunderstorms but just like yesterday, those held off and the game was played in perfect weather. There wasn't even a typical Greenville breeze kicking up any dust.
Things started off promisingly for the home team as they dodged a Hornet bullet in the top of the first inning. Starting Gladiator pitcher Bennett Dunlap, who has been used sparingly this season due to an injury, walked the first two guys he faced, immediately putting a Green Hornet in scoring position. But the sophomore fanned the next batter and then his defense stepped up to record the final two outs, squelching WM's first threat of the evening.
The Big Red then scored in the home half of the inning as Landon Lightner walked, stole second, and came home on a strong double to straightaway center by Ryan Farris. Unfortunately for Big Red fans, that would be the last run of the evening as Hornet hurler Matt Bobsin (sp.?), whom I believe is only a freshman, handcuffed Riverheads the rest of the way.
The top of the second was a repeat for Wilson, only this time they opened the inning with consecutive hits to get the first two guys on board. But again RHS stepped up on defense and kept them off the scoreboard. Finally in the third, the Hornets touched Dunlap for a pair of runs to take the lead for good.
In one of the quirkiest stats you will ever read, each team needed only four pitches to retire the other in a VERY quick fourth inning. That left the score at 2-1 and it looked as if we were headed for a photo finish.
RHS brought in Farris to relieve Dunlap in the fifth. The junior right-hander, normally the starting Gladiator catcher, had earned the save at Wilson in RHS' first game of the season as well as a later win at Fort Defiance, but this was not to be his night to earn another save. He hit two Hornets right off the bat (pun not intended) and that started a big inning for the visitors. They had a couple of timely hits, helped along by some RHS fielding miscues, and by the time the inning ended, Wilson was comfortably in front 6-1. They then added two more in the top of the 7th to remove all doubt about the outcome.
The satisfying victory puts Wilson back in control of the district race, assuming they only have one more game left. Riverheads now faces the daunting task of playing its third game in three days as they must travel to Stuarts Draft Wednesday afternoon. Again the threat of rain will be there and the Gladiators might even hope for it, as they used four pitchers tonight to try and slow down the Hornet attack and could use the rest.
This is the last week of the regular season for all Shenandoah teams. Since there is no district tournament, the playoffs start next week and I would assume most of our schools will qualify. Since our teams play in three different classifications, there will be all kind of chances for one or more of them to get hot, advance deep, and maybe even challenge for a state title. Once those state titles have been awarded, whoever wins them, can we then dare to dream about a "normal" 2021-22 sports year????
