By Adam Harnish

​ ELKTON - At the end of the game on Wednesday, Coach Dave Loker and the Blue Sox had a lot to be happy about. Elkton snapped their seven game losing streak in commanding fashion, winning a matchup against the Broadway Bruins 7-4 to get back in the win column.
 
“I was real tickled by the way they played tonight,” Coach Loker said with a big smile after the game. “We hit the ball pretty well and our fielders were making plays. I thought everybody played a really good game.”
 
It was an all-around solid showing from the Blue Sox, as the offense scored seven runs, and the three Elkton pitchers were able to hold down the fort during their innings of work. The Blue Sox needed a good performance from their starting pitcher, which had been an area for growth for the team in the first half of the season. Starter Jose Rocha rose to the challenge, going five innings and allowing three runs to keep the game close.
 
“I had confidence in my defense,” Rocha said of his approach on the mound. “I was just trying to throw strikes and fill up the strike zone...and it worked out today.”
 
The Bruins had a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, when the Blue Sox bats responded by scoring three runs to retake the lead, 6-4.
 
They never gave it up after that, as Seth Berry and Mack Rexrode pitched a scoreless four innings of relief to close the game out and secure the win for Elkton.
 
“Jose did a great job, super job,” Coach Loker said. “And when Seth came in, he was running on fumes, he’s had to pitch in the last couple games, but he really toughed it out and got through the inning for us. And then Mack came in and finished up real strong.”
 
So, does Coach Loker feel the tides changing for his squad - perhaps a winning streak in the second half of the season?
 
“I hope so,” Loker laughed. “We got the win tonight, so that’s a start. Hopefully that’s the start to some good things.”
 
The Blue Sox are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Montezuma to take on the Braves (7-8). The Bruins hope to rebound on Saturday, when they host a tough opponent in the first place Clover Hill Bucks (11-2).

Christian Rodriguez and Derek Shifflett have been named the Journeys Crossing Players of the Week for the week of June 17-23.

Rodriguez continued his hot start to the season with a big week at the plate. The Blue Sox first baseman batted .500, going 4-for-8 this week with two home runs and four RBIs. He started his week with a 2-for-2 night against New Market. Elkton lost 21-6, but Rodriguez pulled his weight, hitting a home run and driving in three runs.

He went 1-for-3 against Clover Hill on June 20 before closing out the week with a 1-for-3 performance at Grottoes on June 23. He hit a solo home run against the Cardinals as the Blue Sox fell 9-4. Rodriguez is now batting .429 on the season with four home runs and 13 RBIs, all of which are among league leaders. Elkton will be back on the diamond tomorrow night when they host Broadway at Stonewall Memorial Park.

Shifflett picks up his second Pitcher of the Week honor after picking up a win on the mound against Stuarts Draft on June 20. The Reds’ righthander tossed a complete game - his fourth of the season - allowing just two earned runs on seven hits and striking out 10 batters in the game.

Shifflett is currently 4-2 on the season for the Reds with a 2.60 ERA and 38 strikeouts. The Reds will be back in action tonight when they host Grottoes at Ray Heatwole Field for a 7:30 p.m. first pitch. 

CLOVER HILL -  Clover Hill pitcher Tyler Bocock has only played in five games this season, but he’s made an impact on the team. Pitching in Thursday night’s matchup against Elkton, Bocock shut down the Blue Sox’ offense on the way to picking up a 7-1 victory.

“I have a passion for baseball and getting back out on the field gives me an adrenaline rush and I love it, man. I love it,” Bocock said after Thursday night’s game. “It’s great to be out here with the guys, just on a team.”

Bocock has been splitting time this season between playing for the Bucks and serving as an assistant coach with the Woodstock River Bandits of the Valley League. He played in four games at the beginning of the RCBL season, but Thursday was his first action since the Valley League season began on May 31.

The time away hasn’t had any negative impact on the reigning RCBL MVP’s relationship with his team, and he’s been following along through the wins and losses.

“We communicate everyday,” Bocock said. “We’ve got Buckchat and I know we didn’t play what we had intended the last two games. But it’s all in the grind of a season.”

The Bucks had lost two of their last three games coming into Thursday, but they quickly turned things around. Behind Bocock on the mound, Clover Hill cruised to a win. Bocock allowed just two hits in the game while striking out four batters. He was backed up by relievers Eric Yankey and Steve Woerner, who combined for one run on two hits and five strikeouts.

The Bucks’ bats were hot as well. Blake Sipe went 3-for-5 on the night with one run scored and three runs driven in. Bocock and Kevin Kirk also had mult-hit nights, with each getting two hits in the contest.

“Fortunately tonight we played well I think and grinded it out,” Bocock said. “Played mistake-free baseball, attacked the fastballs and made the plays defensively. Got hits when we needed them, that’s kind of a recipe for good baseball.”
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The Bucks are now 10-2 on the season and sitting in first place in the RCBL after Thursday night’s action. The closest team behind them is Broadway at 7-6, three-and-a-half games back. The Bucks head into the All-Star break back in the win column and sitting alone atop the league.

By Adam Harnish
Most pitchers would start to see a decline in performance after throwing 130 pitches and facing the opposing lineup for a fourth time. Of course, most pitchers aren’t Derek Shifflett.
 
With runners on first and second with no outs in the 8th inning, Reds head coach Robert Sherfey went to the mound to see if Shifflett, his starter, was game to keep throwing.
 
“He made the comment to me, ‘I’ll do what you need me to do,’” Coach Sherfey recalled. “‘I’ll get it done.’ That’s just Derek.”
 
Shifflett then proceeded to retire the last six batters in order to finish the game off and secure the 13-4 win over the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks. It was actually Shifflett’s third complete game of the season, throwing close to 150 pitches on Wednesday night.
 
“That’s like a cakewalk to him,” Coach Sherfey said of Shifflett’s pitch count. “He’s a competitor, he’s always going to be that way, and he’s a great kid. I’m glad we have him.”
 
It was an impressive performance overall by the Reds on Wednesday night. Bridgewater took the lead in the third inning on a two-run home run by first baseman Tucker Garrison, but the Diamondbacks rallied back and took a 4-3 lead in the fifth on a three-run bomb by center fielder Tanner Levine. When the Reds came back to the plate in the next frame, they were ready to execute.
 
“Just be patient at the plate,” Coach Sherfey told his guys. “Make good at bats...when that happens, good things happen to you. It works, you just gotta be patient.”
 
Finally, the offense was able to break through, scoring seven runs in the frame, highlighted by a two run single by, yes, Derek Shifflett. The offense batted around, giving the Reds a 10-4 lead, who then added three runs in the later innings for insurance.
 
The Diamondbacks were competitive for most of the game, until things blew open in the 6th. DBacks starter Jacob Matheney matched up well against Shifflett for most of the evening, but ended up with six earned runs and the loss. Leadoff hitter Tyler Wilcher had a productive day at the plate for Stuarts Draft, reaching base in four of his five at-bats with a run and an RBI.
 
Wednesday night’s win moves the Reds up to 5-7 on the year, while the Diamondbacks fall to 6-6. The Reds are back in action on Thursday night at home against the Montezuma Braves (6-5). The DBacks look to rebound on Sunday at home against the New Market Shockers (7-6).

Luke Estep and Derek Shifflett have been named the Journeys Crossing RCBL Players of the Week for the week of June 10-16.

Estep had a big week at the plate for New Market, batting .429 over four games. Estep went 6-for-14 while helping lead the Shockers to three wins last week. He hit a home run on Thursday, June 13 in a 9-3 victory over the Bridgewater Reds, driving in two RBIs in the game as well.

On Friday night, Estep went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and an RBI as the Shockers fell 12-2 at the hands of the Cardinals. Estep and the Shockers redeemed themselves on Sunday night when they picked up an 11-5 win over Montezuma. Estep went 2-for-5 on the night with a triple and three RBIs as he led his team to their sixth win of the season.

Estep is currently batting .297 with one home run and seven RBIs for the Shockers this season. New Market will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on Elkton at Stonewall Memorial Park.

Derek Shifflett pitched seven innings over two games last week for Bridgewater, giving up no runs on no hits while striking out eight batters. He got the start on Monday, June 10, pitching five shutout innings and striking out four batters. The former JMU pitcher came in in relief on Sunday, pitching two innings against Elkton and striking out four more batters. Shifflett picked up the win in each of his appearances last week.
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Shifflett is now 3-2 on the season with a 2.79 ERA and 38 strikeouts. The Reds will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Stuarts Draft at Ray Heatwole Field. 

The RCBL has announced the rosters for its 2019 All-Star Game sponsored by Eddie Edwards Signs, which will take place on June 22 at Ray Heatwole Field in Bridgewater. Despite the elimination of divisions for the 2019 season, the All-Star Game will still be played with an East vs. West format.

Stuarts Draft and Montezuma each lead the way with eight players on the All-Star rosters. Elkton, Stuarts Draft, Montezuma and Clover Hill all have three starters on their respective All-Star teams, tied for the most starters from one team.

The starters for the East All-Stars are catcher Dylan Nicely (Grottoes), first baseman Conner Houser (Elkton), second baseman Nate Jaye (New Market), third baseman Patrick Lover (Stuarts Draft), shortstop Will Haas (Stuarts Draft), outfielders JJ Loker (Elkton), Nick Goode (New Market), Jacob Merica (Grottoes), designated hitter Christian Rodriguez (Elkton) and pitcher Cody Bartley (Stuarts Draft).

The reserves for the East All-Stars are George Killian, Ty Lam, Eli Lam, Lucas Knight and Ty Hevener of Grottoes; Will Craig, Matthew Plotner and Mack Rexrode of Elkton; Joel Smith, Ty Bennett, Pearce Bucher and Ryan Houchens of New Market; and Liam Kehoe, Chandis Goff, Jack Pausic, Tyler Wilcher and Taz Miller of Stuarts Draft.

The East All-Stars will be coached by Nolan Potts (New Market), Dave Loker (Elkton), Bobby Swink (Grottoes) and Les Sandridge (Stuarts Draft).

The starters for the West All-Stars are catcher Kyle Eagle (Bridgewater), first baseman Danny Grogg (Broadway), second baseman Gavin Rush (Montezuma), third baseman Luke Paczewski (Montezuma), shortstop Brandon Lambert (Montezuma), outfielders Drew Easter (Clover Hill), Blake Sipe (Clover Hill), Corbin Lucas (Bridgewater), designated hitter Josh Eberly (Clover Hill) and pitcher Tyler Custer (Broadway).

The reserves for the West All-Stars are John Judy, Hank Strawderman, Brady Duff, Matt Meiser and Tyler Ault of Broadway; Waring Garber, Matt Larson and Tanner Moyers of Clover Hill; Derek Shifflett, Tucker Garrison, Grey Sherfey and Brett Tharp of Bridgewater; and Keegan Oliver, Scott Reid, PJ Hanisak, Alex Markopolous and Owen Stewart of Montezuma.

The West All-Stars will be coached by Chris Cofer (Clover Hill), Robert Sherfey (Bridgewater), Danny Grogg (Broadway) and Chris Rush (Montezuma).

Also taking place on June 22 will be the Home Run Derby, featuring eight participants from around the league. Dylan Nicely, JJ Loker, Pearce Bucher, Danny Grogg, Tanner Moyers, Corbin Lucas and PJ Hanisak will participate in the 2019 Home Run Derby. The participant from Stuarts Draft will be determined at a later date.
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Gates will open at Ray Heatwole Field at 4 p.m. on the day of the All-Star game. The Home Run Derby will take place at 5 p.m. with the All-Star Game beginning at 7:45 p.m.

Drew Easter and Josh Pittman have been named the Journeys Crossing Players of the Week for the week of June 3-9 in the 2019 RCBL season.

Easter had a big week at the plate, going 5-for-9 over three games for the Clover Hill Bucks. He hit one home run and drove in two runs last week. His week started with a 3-for-4 night against Broadway on June 4. Easter hit a home run against the Bruins and scored twice as Clover Hill picked up a 3-0 victory at Buck Bowman Park.

He continued the hot hitting three days later when he went 2-for-2 on the road against Elkton, scoring two runs in a 13-2 win for the Bucks. Both of his hits on the night were doubles as he drove in a run in the lopsided win.

Easter and the Bucks will be back in action on Saturday, June 15 when they travel to Ray Heatwole Field in Bridgewater to take on the Reds.

For Pittman, he earns Pitcher of the Week honors after shutting down the Bucks on Saturday. The 6-foot-2 Cardinals hurler tossed eight innings on the mound, allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out 15 Bucks batters as the Cardinals cruised to a 6-1 victory at Shifflett Field in Grottoes.
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Pittman is now 1-1 on the season with 32 strikeouts and a 3.05 ERA. The Cardinals will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to New Market for a matchup with the Shockers. 

After two former RCBL players were drafted in day two of the 2019 MLB Draft, a current player was taken on Wednesday afternoon. Elkton Blue Sox pitcher Bradley Hanner was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 21st round of the draft. 

Hanner has played with the Blue Sox since the 2016 season. The summer of 2017 was his best year with Elkton as he made six appearances totaling 37.2 innings pitched. He finished that season with 54 strikeouts and a 3.13 ERA for the Blue Sox. 

Hanner had appeared in one game already this season for Elkton, pitching three innings of relief against Grottoes on May 22. The right-handed pitcher face 13 batters, striking out four of them, as the Blue Sox picked up a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. 

A native of Orange, Va., Hanner played college ball at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville. He posted a 7-4 record this season with 107 strikeouts and a 3.03 ERA for the Patriots. He was sixth among NJCAA pitchers in strikeouts this past season.

Hanner joins Brenton Doyle and Tanner Morris as RCBL alumni to be drafted in 2019. The RCBL would like to wish Bradley Hanner congratulations and good luck with his baseball career!

By Adam Harnish
Clinging to a one run lead in the eighth, with the bases loaded and the tying run on third base, Braves pitcher Alex Markopoulos knew he was in a tough spot. But, he still had a plan. “I was just looking to pound the zone,” Markopoulos recalled. “In my head, just pound the zone, and make them beat me with the bat.”

Sure enough, Markopoulos induced an inning ending groundout to escape the jam. The Montezuma Braves (4-3) went on to win a gritty, intense matchup 5-4 against the Bridgewater Reds (2-5), anchored by a crucial 3.2 innings of relief from their young right hander.

“[Markopoulos] pitches with confidence,” Montezuma coach Chris Rush said after the game. “He’s one of those guys that when he takes the mound, if the game is close, he’s going to keep you right there where you need to be.”

Bridgewater started off the game with a two run double courtesy of Kyle Weston, but the Braves quickly responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. The Braves tacked on two more runs in the middle innings, and their relief pitchers, Troy Fink and Keegan Oliver, held down the fort until the middle of the sixth inning. That’s when Coach Rush went to his closer.

“The last game [Markopoulos] pitched, we were really impressed with what we saw. So, we knew going into this game that he was going to be our closer guy tonight,” Rush explained.

Things got dicey for the Braves in the top of the eighth, when some quality Reds at-bats and a few close calls resulted in a run getting walked in, making the score 5-4. With their back against the wall, bases loaded and two outs, the Braves stuck with Markopoulos on the mound, and he was able to get out of the jam. He went on to pitch a one-two-three ninth inning to put the game in the books.
           
OTHER STANDOUT PERFORMANCES: Reds CF Grey Sherfey went 2 for 2 with three walks, two runs and one RBI, improving his batting average to .444 on the year...Reds starting pitcher Derek Shifflett threw all eight innings for Bridgewater, only allowing three earned runs on seven hits and eight strikeouts....oh, and by the way, Markopoulos had himself a day at the plate as well: a pair of hits, with an RBI and a run scored.

The Braves travel to Grottoes to take on the Cardinals (1-6) on Friday night. The Reds get a bit of a breather before their next matchup on Sunday at home against the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks (2-3).