By Dwyer Neal

BROADAY - The Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks got two runs in early against the Broadway Bruins, but couldn’t bring home the win as Broadway won 4-2.

An RBI from Zach Brown brought home teammate Tyler Wilcher, which put the Diamondbacks up 1-0 in the second inning.

Zach Brown landed a double and an RBI from Calen Owens, bringing the Diamondbacks to a 2-0 lead.

The Bruins did not answer back until the sixth inning, scoring two runs to tie the game.

A single from Bryce Strawderman brought the Bruins back into the game by bringing home Boo Dean.

Bruins centerfielder Dan Fry tied the game, bringing home Bryce Strawderman on an RBI single, making it a 2-2 ball game.

The eighth inning was where the Bruins would eventually score the winning runs.

An RBI from Cole Holsinger brought home two Bruins, John Ackerman and Ben Reid, to close out the game and secure the win.

The Bruins will play again Sunday July 22 against the Elkton Blue Sox at Broadway High School. First pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The Diamondbacks are scheduled to host the New Market Shockers tonight at 7:30 at Diamond Club.

By Nick Stevens

CLOVER HILL - The usually intense feeling that typically fills the air when the Clover Hill Bucks and Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks play seemed to be missing on Tuesday night at Buck Bowman Park.
 
Coming off a 17-4 loss to the Bridgewater Reds, the Diamondbacks fell to another Western Division powerhouse, 14-7. With their 18th win of the season, Clover Hill takes a two game lead over Bridgewater in the West, having now won eight of their last ten games.
 
Clover Hill put their foot on the gas early, coming out to a 5-0 lead after the second inning. Blake Sipe, Drew Easter, Ross French, and Josh Eberly all chipped in run-scoring hits, part of a 17-hit performance by the Bucks’ starting lineup.
 
Every single hitter that started for the Bucks recorded at least one hit and reached base at least twice. Sipe upped his average to .323 after a three-hit performance, while catcher Matt Larson continues to very quietly put up a fantastic season in the back-end of the Bucks lineup.
 
Larson went 3-5 with an RBI, his 16th of the season. The RCBL All-Star is now hitting .343.
 
Jay Thompson and Nathan Brooks brought home the first two runs of the game for Draft in the top of the fourth and threatened with two more in the fifth, however, the high-powered offense of Clover Hill proved to be too much.
 
Ryan Cooper, Will Hass, Thompson, and Blake Schaar combined for eight hits and six of the runs scored for Stuarts Draft.
 
Making his fourth start of the season, Jordan Showalter went six innings, giving up seven hits and four runs (two earned) while striking out four Diamondback hitters. Showalter improved to 3-1 with a 3.11 ERA on the year.
 
The two teams will meet up for another contest tonight, this time at the Diamond Club in Stuarts Draft. 

By Matthew Atkins

STUARTS DRAFT - The Bridgewater Reds had some close games this weekend, winning on a walk-off against Grottoes on Friday and losing by one run to Montezuma on Saturday. Monday’s game against Stuarts Draft got back to the typical Bridgewater offense, though, as the Reds won 17-4 over the Dbacks.
 
“Kind of a sour taste after Saturday night. That game got away from us and it never should’ve gotten away from us,” head coach Robert Sherfey said about the Reds’ weekend. “The boys realized it. We just came out and played hard baseball. Hard-nosed baseball is what we wanted to go with.”
 
The Reds came out firing on all cylinders and started the scoring early in the game. Bridgewater had lots of extra-base hits, hitting back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Dbacks scored twice in the bottom of the first, but the Reds put the game away in the second inning.
 
Bridgewater scored eight runs on five hits in the second inning as they batted around in the lineup. Through two innings, the Reds had nine hits, six of which were doubles.
 
Continuing the hard-nosed baseball that Sherfey talked about, the Reds kept the runs coming later in the game. Josh Wright and Brian Bocock hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead.  
 
Bridgewater ended up scoring five runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to win the game 17-4.
 
The Reds have beaten the Dbacks handily in every game this season, but Sherfey says that’s just the result of playing their best baseball.
 
“We’re just playing every game as hard as we can,” Sherfey said. “The outcome is the outcome. We’re going to give it our best every game.”

Three Bridgewater pitchers took the mound in Monday’s game. Starter Gehrig Spradlin picked up the win while Nick Griffin and Grey Sherfey came in to pitch relief innings.
 
Sherfey came in for the final inning, making his first appearance on the mound this season.
 
“We just wanted to bring him in here and let him get a taste of it,” Coach Sherfey said. “I think he’s going to be good for us in the future. He’ll help us out. It’s good for him, confidence builder.”
 
The Reds are now 16-6 on the season and remain in second place in the West Division. Their next matchup comes tomorrow night against the Broadway Bruins at Broadway High School. 

By Matthew Atkins

BRIDGEWATER - The fireworks got started a night early for the Reds.

Bridgewater hosted the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks at Ray Heatwole field on Tuesday night, piling on the runs until they won the game 22-3 in the seventh inning.
 
The Reds got 23 hits in the game as they bounced back from a tough 15-13 loss to Broadway the previous night. Every player in the Bridgewater starting lineup got at least one hit on the night with Kevin Bocock, Josh Wright and Corbin Lucas each getting four hits in the win.
 
Reds head coach Robert Sherfey was all business after the game, saying his team is just there to play the game.
 
“It’s just showing up every game and playing the game,” Sherfey said about the Reds’ mentality this season. “That’s what we thrive for every time we show up. That’s just what we’re here for.
 
“The boys come in thriving. Last night didn’t fall our way. We come back this night, new day, battling all the way. They’ll never give up so we’re just going to battle and battle to the end.”
 
The Reds went down early in the game as Jay Thompson hit a three-run home run to put the Dbacks on the board in the top of the first. The lead wouldn’t last long though, as the Reds came roaring back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second.
 
Bridgewater tacked on 11 runs on nine hits in the third inning before putting up seven runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.
 
Bridgewater starter Gehrig Spradlin tossed six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out five batters.
 
The Reds have now scored double digit runs in three of their last five games, which Sherfey says is the result of a more consistent schedule.
 
“We’re getting to play more games now,” Sherfey said. “At first we had all these rainout games. We went seven days without playing. Guys are getting in a groove now. Everybody’s here. Things are coming together like we’re hoping for.”
 
The Reds improve to 10-4 on the season with the win and move to two games behind Clover Hill in the Western Division. Bridgewater has won three of its last five games and the team hopes to continue showing what they’re capable of doing
 
“We’re on the right path,” Sherfey said. “We’re still going to show some things. We’ll do some things. We’re just here to play the game.”
 
The Reds have a bit of a break following the Fourth of July holiday. Their next matchup comes Friday night at Stuarts Draft. 

By Nick Stevens

ELKTON - Mark Arrington has made only three starts this summer, but he has made every single start count. The Blue Sox pitcher tossed his third complete game of the year on Monday night, leading his team to a 5-3 victory over the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks.
 
Last night’s win was a big one for the Blue Sox, who move to within one game of the first-place Grottoes Cardinals. Coming off a tough, late-inning loss to Clover Hill on Sunday and taking the field without regular starters Lee Carneal, Connor Lilley, and Cameron Stanley, Elkton hitters worked 9 walks en route to their fifth win of the year.
 
A J.J. Loker RBI-single and passed ball gave the Blue Sox an early 2-0 lead, before both starting pitchers cruised through the next three frames.
 
Trent Miller, Jacob Slaughter, and Jack Decker each drove in a run (one in the fifth, one in the sixth, and one in the seventh) to break open the game and give Arrington the run support he needed.
 
The story of the night was Arrington’s performance on the mound. Arrington took a two-hit shutout into the sixth inning before Jay Thompson drove in Ryan Cooper with a sacrifice-fly to right field. His final line on the night read: 9 IP, 8 H, 3 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 11 K. Arrington is now 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA on the year.
 
J.J. Loker reached base in every plate appearance last night, going 1-1 with three walks. He also stole two bases, giving him five on the year.
 
With the loss, the Diamondbacks fell to 4-11, however, they remain just three games out of first place in the Eastern Division. Ryan Cooper continued his hot-streak, knocking in three hits, including his third double of the season. Since June 19th, Cooper has raised his batting average from .258 to .327. He has reached base at least once in his last seven games and is on a six-game hitting streak.
 
Cooper will look to extend those streaks as Stuarts Draft travels to Bridgewater tonight, while Elkton is off until Thursday night when they travel to New Market to take on the Shockers. 

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 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 Nick Stevens

CLOVER HILL - ​Clover Hill- Saturday night, Clover Hill featured a collection of the top players across the RCBL, coming together to participate in the 2018 RCBL All-Star game and Home Run Derby at historic Buck Bowman Park.
 
The night began by featuring the top sluggers in the RCBL with the 2018 Home Run Derby. Tyler Bocock (Bridgewater) led all hitters in the first round with nine home runs, however, it was Kyle Matthews of Montezuma who would eventually come out on top as the home run king. Matthews defeated Cameron Stanley (Elkton) 4-1 in the championship round to take home the crown.
 
First Round
(Bridgewater) Tyler Bocock 9               (Stuarts Draft)- Will Hass 1
(Grottoes)- Nathan Rebich 1                             (Montezuma)- Kyle Matthews 5
 
(Broadway)- Dan Fry 5                         (Clover Hill)- Danny Grogg- 2
(New Market)- Josh Taymen 0              (Elkton)- Cameron Stanley- 5
 
Second Round
Tyler Bocock-2                                                            Dan Fry- 1
Kyle Matthews 2 (Matthews 2-1 in tie break)    Cameron Stanley 2
 
Championship Round
Kyle Matthews- 4
Cameron Stanley- 1
 
Immediately after the Home Run Derby,  the 2018 All-Stars took the field at Buck Bowman Park as the Eastern Division and Western Division All-Stars battled it out, with the West ultimately coming out on top, 9-1.
 
The West came out of the gate strong, with Owen Stewart (Montezuma) and Gavin Kandrick (Broadway) hitting back-to-back singles to start the game. Stewart would later score on an error off a Tyler Bocock batted ball.
 
It was the third inning that provided the most action, as the West All-Stars brought in four runs off six hits off New Market pitcher Seth Comer. Danny Grogg, Grey Sherfy (Bridgewater), Brady Duff (Broadway), and Matt Lawson (Clover Hill) all brought in runs on singles, except for Duff who brought in a run on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.
 
The East threatened in the fourth, but a diving stop behind second base by Tyler Bocock halted the attack after Jacob Slaughter (Elkton) doubled to lead off the inning, later brought home on a Ryan Cooper (Stuarts Draft) double off the power-line in left field.
 
In the sixth, Corbin Lucas (Bridgewater) led off with a double, coming home on a Tyler Bocock fielder’s choice. Home run derby champ Kyle Matthews (2-2, RBI, R) doubled home Bocock, coming around on an error later in the inning to put the West up 8-1.
 
It was the pitching staff of the West that dominated last night’s All-Star game. Luke Foss (Bridgewater), Tucker Garrison (Bridgewater), Bocock, and Eric Yankey (Clover Hill) all faced the minimum in their innings of work. Bocock struck out the side in his frame, producing three swinging strikeouts. Yankey continued to do what he’s done all season, produce a shut down ninth, recording two strikeouts to end the night’s festivities. The East All-Stars were limited to just five hits throughout the night.
 
Notable offensive performances included:
 
Jacob Slaughter - 3-4, 2B, run scored
 
Owen Stewart - 2-3, run scored
 
Boo Dean - 2-2
 
Grey Sherfey - 2-3, RBI, run scored, SB

By Matthew Atkins

BRIDGEWATER - Following a rough start to the 2018 season, the Bridgewater Reds have found a way to win six consecutive games, finding themselves in second place in the Western Division. Led by right fielder Corbin Lucas, the Reds dismantled the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks on Wednesday night 12-3.

Lucas started the scoring early in the game and kept the runs coming all night for the Reds. After hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the first, Lucas finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs and five RBIs.

Bridgewater started to run away with the game in the first couple of innings, but the Dbacks wouldn’t go down easily.

Stuarts Draft started to come back in the top of the sixth as Calen Owens and Reeves Whitmore each came around to score, cutting the Reds’ lead to 5-3.

With the Dbacks closing in, the Reds bats lit up and Bridgewater started to pull away again with a four-run sixth inning that was highlighted by a two-run double from Brian Bocock.

The Reds tacked on three more runs in the eighth, coming just one run shy of ending the game by slaughter rule.

Reliever Tristan Eppard got three quick outs in the top of the ninth to end the game, giving Bridgewater its sixth straight win.

“Is it six straight?” said Tyler Bocock, in his first game back since being on vacation. “Dang. It feels good. We’re rolling”

The Reds shortstop finished the game 1-for-4 with two runs scored. He also reached base once after being hit by a pitch.

Bridgewater starter Hunter Miller, who is the youngest player in the league at just 14 years old, tossed 4.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out five.

John Page picked up the win for Bridgewater, pitching 2.2 innings of relief. Page allowed two runs on three hits and struck out two Dbacks.

The Reds will be in action tonight and tomorrow before heading into the All-Star break this weekend. Bridgewater heads to Elkton tonight before returning home on Friday to host the first-place Broadway Bruins.

Bocock says that going into the All-Star break this weekend, it’s good for the team to be gaining some momentum.

“I think, where the standings sit now, it’s kind of nice to go in, hopefully get a win tomorrow and then give Broadway our best shot since they’ve proved that they’re solid."