By Matthew Atkins

BROADWAY - In a week that’s seen multiple pitchers helping their own cause with good offensive showings, Tyler Bocock’s performance on Friday night may take the cake.
 
Bocock was dominant the entire game as he led the Reds to a 13-1 slaughter rule victory over the Broadway Bruins.
 
“I just wanted to do the best I can for my team, whatever that means,” Bocock said. “Sometimes it means not getting a hit and getting a walk, stealing a base, doing the little things. Sometimes it means being the guy. So I was happy tonight I could just be the best that I could for my team.”
 
Bocock was certainly the guy for the Reds on Friday. He struck out six batters in six and a third innings of work while allowing just one run to come across the plate. Bocock pitched four innings without allowing a hit before Boo Dean reached on a single in the bottom of the fifth.
 
At the plate, the Reds’ starter was even more dominant, finishing the night 3-for-4 with four runs scored and six RBIs. Two of Bocock’s hits were home runs, both going far over the left field fence.
 
With the Reds already up 5-0 and one home run under his belt, Bocock stepped up to the plate in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded. When he got to the batter’s box, he had some discussion with the home plate umpire about whether or not he’d hit another home run.
 
“It’s funny cause Frankie, the umpire, he said, ‘You gonna put another one in the trees?’” Bocock said. “He asked me so I said, ‘I’m gonna try.’ Sure enough he hung a curveball the first pitch and I hit it there and I came back around and said, ‘There’s your tree shot.’”
 
The grand slam put the Reds up 9-0, just one run shy of the slaughter rule mark, which they would eventually reach in the eighth inning.
 
The home runs were a big opportunity for Bocock, who only had three RBIs coming into tonight’s game. He hasn’t had much success driving in runs, but tonight’s performance is the first step in changing that.  
 
“I’ve been struggling with runners in scoring position, so just trying to get something out there, get runners moving, bases loaded, that’s a big opportunity,” Bocock said. “To come up and get those RBIs, I think that just shifted the momentum completely, put them on their heels. We just kind of took over from there.”
 
The Bruins threatened a few times throughout the night, but never could get enough momentum going to make the game competitive. Their best shot came in the bottom of the seventh when they had the bases loaded with one out, but all three runners were left on base in the inning.
 
With the win, the Reds improve to 8-3 on the season and are just two games behind the Bruins in the Western Division. Bocock said the game was important in order to show the rest of the league what Bridgewater is really capable of.
 
“You’ve got that chip on your shoulder to prove how good we really are,” he said. “So when we get like that I think we want to prove it. I think sometimes we don’t get the respect that we think we deserve, so we want to just go out and prove it.”
 
The Reds will be at home tonight to host the Grottoes Cardinals before taking on the Bruins again Monday night. Both games are at Ray Heatwole Field with first pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

By Matthew Atkins

STUARTS DRAFT - June 5 was a typical summer night in Montezuma. The weather was warm, there was a picture-perfect baseball sunset, and the RCBL was about to be introduced to Will Hass.
 
The visiting Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks had lost to the Montezuma Braves the previous night, but the four-time champions had something different planned this time. The Dbacks pounded the Braves 12-1 to win the game by slaughter rule, and their rookie shortstop stole the show.
 
“Everyone was like, ‘Oh my god, dude what are you doing?’” Hass said about the reaction from his three-home run game. “It was almost like an out-of-body experience for me. It probably will never happen again. That was pretty special.”
 
Hass finished that game 3-for-5 at the plate with three home runs and six RBIs. His strong performance helped lead the Dbacks to their second win of the season.
 
A little over a week later, Hass hit his fourth home run of the season at Buck Bowman Park, taking the league lead in homers. The fact that he sits at the top of the league’s sluggers comes as a surprise even to him.
 
“No, not at all,” Hass replied when asked if he’s usually a power hitter. “I hit five this year at STAB and I hadn’t hit one in high school before then, so coming in here, I just started focusing on the gaps. I don’t know what’s happened this year, but I’m just seeing the ball well and driving it.”
 
Playing in the RCBL for his first time, Hass has become one of Draft’s most consistent threats at the plate. He is currently batting .388 with four homers and 12 RBIs on the season.

By Matthew Atkins

MONTEZUMA - Every team has that one player they want at bat in a clutch situation. For the Montezuma Braves on Thursday night, that player was pitcher Owen Stewart.
 
Stewart hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Montezuma the 7-6 win over Stuarts Draft.
 
“It’s pretty cool. The last walk-off hit I had was when I was 10 years old, so it’s been a while,” Stewart said after his game-winning hit. “I just wanted to put the ball in play and give them a chance to score so I’m glad I was able to get it through.”

The game went back and forth all night, with Montezuma leading for the majority of the game. The Braves scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead and put the pressure on the Dbacks.
 
Draft answered in the third with a bases-loaded walk and an RBI-single by Tyler Wilcher to cut the lead in half.
 
With the score still at 4-2 in the top of the seventh, the Dbacks sent four runners across the plate to take a 6-4 lead.
 
The Braves were able to tie it, but couldn't take the lead before the end of the ninth, and the already three-hour game went into extra innings. 
 
The first pitch to Stewart in the bottom of the 10th brushed him off the plate and got away from the catcher, allowing Koice Quintinilla to advance to third. Stewart made contact on the next pitch, and the rest is history.
 
The Braves picked up their first win since June 14 with last night’s game.
 
“I think we’re feeling pretty confident, we’re starting to get the bats going, our pitchers are starting to throw strikes,” Stewart said. “We had a real rocky start, but we’re kind of used to it. It happened last year too. We know we’ll bounce back, it just takes time.”
 
Montezuma heads to Grottoes tonight to finish a 0-0 ball game in the top of the ninth before playing a regularly scheduled game against the Cardinals at 7:30.
 
Stewart won’t be with the team tonight, but he believes they’re on their way to turning the season around.
 
“I won’t be here this weekend, but I’ll be back next week,” he said. “I think we can win a few, get our record back to being something respectable and put us in contention.”

By Matthew Atkins
​
STRASBURG - ​Broadway Bruins catcher Gavin Kandrick will join the Valley League’s Strasburg Express, according to the team’s Twitter account. The team announced on Thursday that he would join them while they have a few catchers working to come back from injuries.

By Matthew Atkins

BROADWAY - The Broadway Bruins’ nine-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday at the hands of the Elkton Blue Sox, but it didn’t take long for the team to get back in the win column. Behind the pitching efforts of Logan Morrison, the Bruins defeated the Grottoes Cardinals 4-0 Wednesday night at Shifflett Field.
 
“We came out a little bit flat against Elkton. I think it had in part to do with the All-Star Weekend, getting a few days off,” Broadway head coach Justin Getz said. “We were playing so many games in a row, they weren’t really used to having a break, I don’t think. We came out a little bit flat and didn’t really have our minds in it, but tonight everybody showed up, everybody was zoned in when we got here, and it showed.”
 
Perhaps the most zoned in player on the Bruins squad was Morrison, who lasted eight innings and struck out 13 batters on the way to earning his fourth win of the season. Morrison was as effective as he’s been all season long, and was able to get out of any jam he was faced with.
 
The Cardinals led off the bottom of the second with a walk and a single, getting two runners on with no outs. Morrison responded by striking out the next three batters he faced, leaving two men on for Grottoes.
 
No base runner for the Cardinals was able to make it past second base in Wednesday night’s game.
 
“He’s been the man. He’s showed up in every scenario we’ve put him in and played well,” Getz said about Morrison. “That’s the type of kid he is. He doesn’t have any quit and he wants the ball every time he has an option to get it. He throws the ball well, he knows how to pitch and he does well for us. We’re excited to have him.”
 
Morrison also made his presence known at the plate, driving in half of the Bruins’ runs in the game.
 
With the game scoreless in the top of the fifth, Morrison hit a fly ball to left field, scoring Kevin Rush from third base. The Luray native drove in another run in the top of the sixth after drawing a bases-loaded walk, making the score 4-0 in favor of the Bruins.
 
Rush had a good night at the plate as well, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Broadway. The only other Bruin to have multiple hits on the night was the second baseman Bryce Strawderman, who finished the night 2-for-5.
 
Going forward, Broadway will host the Bridgewater Reds on Friday in a Western Division battle. The team has already matched their 2017 win total and currently sits in first place with an 11-2 record.
 
“They’re playing well, they like to have fun," Getz said. "They get along really well and I think that has a lot to do with it.”

By Dwyer Neal

CLOVER HILL – The Elkton Blue Sox had the lead for two innings, but ultimately fell to Clover Hill 5-4 on Wednesday night.  

The Bucks got on the board early by bringing in two runs in the second inning. An RBI-single from Matt Larson brought home Danny Grogg and Jonny Wood scored on an error by the catcher, making the score 2-0.  

After a rain delay, Elkton answered back by hitting two home runs. Lee Carneal hit the first home run of the evening, bringing home Jacob Slaughter.

Trent Miller hit the second home run for the Blue Sox and brought home Cameron Stanley to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Blue Sox.

After a pitching change for Clover Hill from Nick Corbin to Tyler Conley, the Bucks started to find a rhythm.

“Nick battled, he threw well… they made some good swings on a couple of pitches he left up,” Clover Hill head coach Chris Cofer said. “The good thing is Tyler and Moyers came in and really kept the game moving for us, so we could stay in rhythm.”

The Bucks could only get one run on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. A sacrifice hit from Ross French brought home Josh Eberly, making the score 4-3.

The Bucks brought in the two last runs of the game in the seventh inning. An RBI-single from Blake Sipe brought home Drew Easter. Sipe later advanced to third from an error made by the pitcher.

Luke Shifflett singled on a 2-2 pitch to bring in Sipe for the winning run of the game for Clover Hill.

Up next –
The Bucks are now 11-2 on the season and will play again on Saturday June 30 at Montezuma.  

The Blue Sox will travel to New Market on Saturday to take on the Shockers in an Eastern Division matchup.  

By Dwyer Neal

ELKTON -  The Elkton Blue Sox hosted the Broadway Bruins last night, where they defended their home field and took a 4-1win, taking down the number one team in the league.
 
The Elkton Blue Sox came prepared for a tough game, and they got on the board early in the first inning taking a 1-0 lead. 
 
The defensive plays for the Blue Sox kept coming naturally. Mark Arrington’s pitching kept the Sox right on track, limiting Broadway’s offense.
 
The Blue Sox took a strong lead in the fifth inning as Lee Carneal hit a three-run home run to make it 4-0 Elkton.
 
The Bruins answered back late in the eighth inning. An RBI single from Boo Dean scored Bryce Strawderman to make it 4-1 in favor of the Blue Sox.
 
In the final innings of the game, Broadway could not get the three runs they needed on to tie it. With the loss, the Bruins are now 10-2 on the season.
 
Up Next –
The Broadway Bruins will play again against the Grottoes Cardinals at Shifflett Field on June 26. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
The Elkton Blue Sox will play the Clover Hill Bucks on June 26 at Buck Bowman park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

By Nick Stevens

STUARTS DRAFT -  The Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks began their post-All-Star run with a statement on Tuesday night, defeating the Grottoes Cardinals 15-1 in seven innings.
 
Diamondbacks’ starting pitcher Chandis Goff gave up just one run over six innings, getting 11 runs of support from his offense, before giving way to Ryan Cooper in the final frame.
 
The scoreboard at the Diamond Club was very hitter friendly, crediting Stuarts Draft with 17 hits on the night, despite at least five errors by the Grottoes defense. Whether by hit or error, first baseman Ryan Cooper reached base in all six plate appearances he had on the night, scoring four runs and drawing one walk. Good things happen when you put the ball in play.
 
Will Hass continued his tear through the RCBL, going 2-3 at the plate with two walks, three runs scored, a stolen base, and an RBI. He just missed launching yet another home run at one point, falling victim to the cold air at the Diamond Club.
 
The entire Draft lineup proved difficult to sit down Tuesday night. The eight/nine combination of Taz and Colt Miller combined to go 1-4 at the plate, drawing three walks and scoring three runs.
 
The win now gives Stuarts Draft and Grottoes four wins each on the season. With four more games played (all losses), Draft inches closer to taking over the top spot in the Eastern Division. They will look to make it five wins as they head to Montezuma (2-8) to battle the Braves on Wednesday evening.
 
As for Grottoes, the lone run was scored by Zach Thomas in the sixth inning. After sending a leadoff triple into deep centerfield, David Wood’s sac-fly brought home Thomas, who finished the night 2-4 at the plate.
 
Despite the big loss, Tuesday night was clearly a learning moment for the Cardinals. Over the final few frames, Coach Bobby Swink had players off to the side, going over mechanics, using moments from the game to teach his players along the way. At no point in the night did the Cardinals look disengaged from the game, even after falling behind 11-0 early in the contest.
 
Also of note, after beginning the year with the Clover Hill Bucks, former Turner Ashby Knight Matt Curry now suits up for Grotties, starting at second base for the Cardinals.
 
Grottoes is back in action Wednesday night, at home against the top-ranked Broadway Bruins. 

By Matthew Atkins

BRIDGEWATER - ​In a game where both teams rack up double digit hits, you’d think the score would be a close one. That was not the case in Clover Hill’s 12-6 win over Bridgewater on Tuesday night.
 
The Bucks visited Ray Heatwole Field for the second time this season, looking to avenge their loss on June 16. The team succeeded, scoring 12 runs on 12 hits to defeat the rival Reds.
 
“It’s great to win here at any time,” Bucks head coach Chris Cofer said following the victory. It’s great to beat Bridgewater any time. They’re a great team. They’re never out of the game.”
 
Bridgewater was very much in the game in the early innings. The Reds scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth and led Clover Hill 3-1, but as they’ve done all season long, the Bucks waited a few innings to really get their offense going.
 
The Bucks scored three runs on three hits in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the game, one they would not relinquish the rest of the night.
 
Leading 4-3 going into the seventh inning, the Bucks had an opportunity to take an even bigger lead and began to put the game out of reach. With one out and runners on first and second, John Siciliano came up to the plate. The right fielder made contact on the first pitch he saw, reaching first on an error and driving in Alex Knicely and Tanner Moyers.
 
Three more runs came around to score in the frame as the Bucks took their first big lead of the night.
 
“Just a play that didn’t happen their way, we were able to capitalize on it and then add a couple extra runs after that which made a big difference,” Cofer said. “Our guys did a good job, pitched well when we needed to, scored runs when we had opportunities to.”
 
The final score looks like a blowout, but there were times when Bridgewater made the game tight. With a runner on first and no outs in the sixth, Grey Sherfey reached first after Drew Easter dropped a fly ball in left field. Corbin Lucas later reached on a walk as the Reds threatened to cut the lead, but all three runners were left on base as Daniel Heatwole grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
 
Despite both teams knocking in more than 10 hits, Bridgewater made some key mistakes that would prove costly. The Reds left 15 runners on base in Tuesday’s game, including five innings in which multiple runners were left stranded.
 
Bridgewater pitchers hit five batters and walked eight, giving the Bucks 13 free baserunners. In comparison, Clover Hill only walked five batters on the night.
 
Starter Corey Armentrout lasted six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out five. Waring Garber, Jesse Showalter and Eric Yankey each tossed one inning, combining to allow three runs on three hits and strike out three batters.
 
Eight Clover Hill batters came around to score in the game, including three who scored multiple runs. Bucks third baseman Luke Shifflett finished the night 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Siciliano drove in three runs on the night, going 1-for-5 at the plate with two runs.
 
With the win, the Bucks improve to 10-3 on the season while Bridgewater drops to 7-3. Clover Hill’s next matchup comes tonight as the Bucks host Elkton at Buck Bowman Park.

Bridgewater has a few days off before the Reds head to Broadway on Friday to face the Bruins in a Western Division matchup. 

By Dwyer Neal

CLOVER HILL – The Clover Hill Bucks managed to secure a 3-2 win over the Montezuma Braves in extra innings on Monday night. The Bucks outstanding performance made them 9-3 on the season.

“The games that we’ve won this year more often than not have been nail bitters like this, I’m starting to get used to it,” Chris Cofer said about the win.

The Braves got on the board early during the first inning as a big hit from Kyle Armstrong brought home Brandon Lambert for the first run of the night.

Montezuma scored again in the third when Koice Quintinilla came home on a hit from Lambert.

The Bucks answered back to those runs in the bottom of the third inning as Ross French hit a single, bumping Kevin Kirk to third and scoring Josh Eberly. A big hit from Blake Sipe allowed French to advance to second and brought Kirk home, tying the game 2-2.

“Kevin Chandler threw the ball really well, little bit of a rough start but he was really efficient with his pitches which led him to the seventh inning of the night,” Cofer said about the Bucks pitching. “That allowed us to do some things differently in the back half of the game that we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.”

The pitching performance from Chandler helped the Bucks shutout the Braves from the third inning on.

The game went into extra innings knotted up at two runs apiece. Eberly started the inning off with a single and later came around to score on an RBI groundout by French to give the Bucks the win.

Up Next –

The Bucks will go up against the Reds tonight at Ray Heatwole Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Braves will take the night off and will play again on Wednesday June 27, at Ruritan Field against the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.