Mountaineers and Braves Split Doubleheader

By Nolan Potts
The two hottest teams in the RCBL squared off for a doubleheader at Spotswood High School on Saturday night as Massanutten took on Montezuma. The Mountaineers came into the day with a seven-game win streak, while the Braves came in riding a four-game win streak.

The first game was a pitcher’s duel between Montezuma’s Roman Borders and Massanutten’s Garett McAlexander.

In the top of the first, Montezuma got on the board with an RBI double from third baseman Tyler Morley. The Mountaineers would tie the game in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Nick Arnold.

The score would remain 1-1 until the top of the fifth. Montezuma’s Noah Kessler led off the inning with a double on a ball that was misread in the outfield, and was then sacrificed to third by Kyle Armstrong. Gavin Rush reached on an error. McAlexander then struck out the next batter, but Dylan Rankin would rip a double into the left-center gap to score Kessler and Rush and give the Braves a 3-1 lead.

That was all the run support Roman Borders and the Braves’ bullpen would need. Borders went the first five innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out four. Ethan Fitzgerald threw a perfect sixth inning, and Hunter Covill slammed the door to get the save as he set the Mountaineers down in order in the seventh.

That made a tough luck loser out of McAlexander. He went six innings, allowed three runs (only one earned) on seven hits, struck out five, and didn’t walk a batter.

Offensively, Gavin Rush led the Braves going 3-4 and scored two of their three runs, while Morley and Kessler each had two hits.

The Mountaineers only mustered three hits: the RBI double by Arnold that scored Kaplan Ambrose, and singles by Colin Troilo and Nate Brookshire.

The loss snapped Massanutten’s seven-game win streak and dropped their record to 10-10, while the Braves extended their winning streak and improved to 10-11.

In Game 2, each team once again got strong pitching. Covill started the second game for the Braves after picking up the save in the first game, while the Mountaineers sent out Brady Hoover.

The Mountaineers would strike first in the second game as catcher Jackson Baugher would reach on an error on a ground ball but drove in Nate Brookshire.

It would remain 1-0 in favor of Massanutten until the top of the sixth. Hoover – who dominated most of the game – ran into some trouble in the inning. Gavin Rush walked and Tyler Morley singled. Hoover would then strike out his tenth batter of the game to get the second out of the inning. Tyler Smith – with two strikes – roped a ball down the left field line that drove in two runs and gave the Braves a 2-1 lead. The next batter, Josh Lallo, would then double in the right-center gap to score Smith and extend the lead to 3-1.

The Mountaineers would respond in the bottom of the sixth as Kemper Omps and Jackson Baugher both singled off Braves' reliever Dylan Weatherly. The right-hander would then strike out the next two batters, and with two outs it brough Nick Arnold to the plate. After a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, Arnold singled into left field to score Omps and Dominic Pancione, who was the courtesy runner for the catcher, and tie the game at 3-3.

Mason Sawyers entered in relief in the top of the seventh for Massanutten after throwing the seventh inning in the first game, as well. With two outs, Gavin Rush hit a line drive that got over the left fielder’s head and drove in Keegan Oliver – who was courtesy running for the catcher – to give the Braves a 4-3 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Colin Troilo led off being hit by a pitch by Montezuma’s Alex Belako, who came in to start the inning. Pancione then entered as a pinch runner for the Mountaineers. Nate Brookshire sacrificed him over to second. Belako then got a fly out for the second out. Omps would single to left field, and Baugher would hit a slow dribbler up the third baseline for an infield single. Kaplan Ambrose then drew a walk to score the tying run. Montezuma then brought in veteran Kyle Armstrong to pitch, and he induced a line drive off the bat of Trevor Strosnider right at the left fielder to end the inning and send the game to extras.

Sawyers would give up a leadoff single to Rankin to start the top of the eighth, but then got two strikeouts and a groundout to get out of the inning.

Nick Arnold led off with a single in the bottom of the eighth off of Armstrong, and then Dawson Russell singled to center and got Arnold to third. The Braves allowed Russell to take second uncontended the next batter, which was a strikeout. Montezuma then chose to intentionally walk Brookshire to load the bases for Drew Hawkins. The rising senior at Spotswood HS then ripped a ball right back up the middle into centerfield and drove in Arnold to walk it off.

Hoover went six innings, allowed three runs on five hits and struck out ten. Sawyers picked up the win after the two innings of relief. Covill went the first two innings for the Braves and gave up an unearned run, while Ethan Fitzgerald and Kyle Measell each had scoreless outings out of the bullpen.

Gavin Rush was 2-2 with an RBI and run scored for the Braves, who dropped to 10-12 on the season.

Nick Arnold led the way at the plate for Massanutten as he went 4-5 with two RBI. The Mountaineers improved their record to 11-10.

Massanutten is back in action on Monday at Elkton, while the Braves are off until Wednesday night when they will host the Bridgewater Reds.

 

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