Shockers Manhandle Reds for Seventh Straight Win

By Dean Barker
​The RCBL Shockers had a powerful offensive night and handed the defending RCBL champion Bridgewater Reds a 10-2 loss on Saturday, June 24 at Spotswood High School. With the win, the Shockers improved to 8-3 and took first place in the league, while the Reds fell to 10-4 and are now in second. The win was the seventh in a row for the Shockers, who started the season 1-3.
 
“…What it takes to beat good teams is to put all three phases of the game together, and we’ve been doing that lately,” Shockers head coach Nolan Potts said.
 
Matt House picked up the win for the Shockers to improve to 3-1, pitching a full nine and conceding two earned runs on thirteen hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.
 
“Just trust in the pitch calling, trust in the defense, I mean, without that, I don’t know what else to do,” House said. “Just attack the hitter and trust what’s called.”
 
John Barrett took the loss for Bridgewater to fall to 0-1, giving up five earned runs in two and a third innings on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Jared Peake pitched an inning and two thirds, giving up two earned runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Brett Tharp pitched three innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Eric Yankey pitched the eighth, giving up no runs on no hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
A two out double to center from Corbin Lucas would give the Reds a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The Shockers would respond with a two out RBI triple to right, and came home on a wild pitch to give the Shockers a 2-1 lead.
 
Brett Tharp would drive in the tying run in the top of the second, grounding into a bases loaded double play.
 
Harrison Madagan broke the tie with a two run double to left field in the third. Connor Houser would drive him in with a single to center to make it 5-2 Shockers, at which point Barrett was pulled for Peake. Bodie Pullen and Luke Keister came home on wild pitches in the fourth to make it 7-2.
 
Pearce Bucher would add some more insurance in the sixth with a two run single to center field, pushing the lead to 9-2.
 
With two outs and two on in the seventh, Madagan would plate one with an RBI single to left, making it 10-2. Bucher would try to add to the damage with a sharp liner, but Chris Huffman was there to make the leaping catch and end the inning. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Bodie Pullen struck out to end it. The game would end on the Shocker’s third double play of the night in the top of the ninth.
 
The Shockers had ten runs on twelve hits with no errors and twelve base runners stranded. Keister was 4-5 with three runs scored. Madagan was 2-4 with three RBIs. Bucher was 2-5 with three RBIs. Kaden Spaid went 2-4. Houser was 1-3 with an RBI. Nate Brookshire was 1-5.
 
“The whole mentality is to try to be relaxed, go out and have fun,” Madagan said. “(I’ve) just been focusing on my AB’s.”
 
The Reds had two runs on thirteen hits with no runs and nine runners left on base. Lucas was 2-4 with an RBI. Tharp and Cody Swartley were both 2-4. Ryan Williams and Patrick O’Niel both went 2-3. Huffman, Mason Luck and Jordan Yankey were all 1-4.
 
The Shockers will look for their eighth straight win when they host the Grottoes Cardinals on Monday, June 26 at 7:30 pm. The Reds will look to bounce back when they host the Montezuma Braves on Monday, June 26 at 7:30 pm.

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