Opening Day Recaps

Grottoes Defeats Elkton on Opening Night
 
Grottoes got three hits from Clayton Michael and two hits each from Austin Nicely, Jaden Rose, Natty Solomon, and Kevin Saylor as the Cardinals defeated Elkton at Stonewall Memorial Park by a final score of 13-3 in seven innings.
 
The Cardinals (1-0) scored one run in the third inning, but then scored multiple runs in innings four through seven while accumulating 13 hits.
 
Rose hit a home run and had two RBIs, while Grottoes also got two RBIs from Michael and Cam Irvine. Michael, Austin Nicely, Rose, Solomon, and Saylor all scored two runs each.
 
Eli Lam started for Grottoes and went the first four innings and allowed just two hits and one run while striking out seven. Eli Elgersma went the next two innings before turning it over to Cam Irvine who pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
 
For Elkton (0-1), Asher Peterman had two hits and one RBI and the Blue Sox got one hit each from Grayson Smith and Tyler Stobbs.
 
Grottoes is back in action on Saturday night when they host Massanutten while the Blue Sox will also play Saturday when they host Stuarts Draft.

Big First Inning Propels Broadway over Montezuma
 
Broadway scored six runs in the first inning despite not collecting one base hit and cruised from there as the Bruins defeated Montezuma by a score of 15-1 in seven innings.
 
The first seven batters of the game for Broadway reached via walks, and those runs were more than enough for Bruins’ starting pitcher Gavin Cunningham. He went five innings and allowed just three hits, one run, and struck out seven. Landen Lewis pitched the final two frames without allowing a run and gave up just one hit while striking out four.
 
The Bruins had six hits on the night: two from Conner Michael, two from John Copenhaver, and two from Jared Neal. Copenhaver had three RBIs, while Brody Bower had two, and Carl Keenan, Jayden Nixon, Chase Ford, Miguel Fajardo, and Joey McNamara had one each.
 
For Montezuma, Jacob Barber, Wyatt Griffith, Tyler Smith, and Blake Argenbright each had a hit.
 
Broadway (1-0) plays at Stuarts Draft tonight, while Montezuma (0-1) will host Bridgewater tonight.
 
Clover Hills Takes Rematch Of Last Year’s Finals

The defending champion Clover Hill Bucks scored five runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth as they pulled away from the Bridgewater Reds on opening night and won the game by a final score of 10-1.
 
Bridgewater got on the board in the first inning when Reds’ veteran Corbin Lucas hit a home run on his first swing of the season, but that would be the only run the Reds would muster the rest of the evening. From there, the only two hits Bridgewater collected the rest of the night were both off the bat of Jordan Yankey.
 
Joe Christopher took the loss for the Reds, but got a great relief outing from left-hander Jared Peake who threw 3.2 scoreless innings while striking out four Bucks.
 
Clover Hill got great pitching from four different players. Jaden Isidro went the first three innings and allowed just the home run to Lucas before Clay Guyer, Sam Imeson, and Grant Thomas each threw two innings of scoreless baseball.
 
For the Bucks offensively, veteran Luke Shiflett went 3-5 with 3 RBIs, while TJ Johnson and Issac Sumpter each had two hits. Sumpter drove in three runs, while Josh Eberly drove in two. Eberly, John Siciliano, Colton Harris, and Nick Stavros each had one hit.
 
Clover Hill (1-0) will travel to Bridgewater on Sunday night for their next game, while Bridgewater (0-1) is right back at it tonight as they’ll play at Montezuma.

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