July 23: First-Round Playoff Games

Tom Sox Eliminate Braves

Charlottesville erased a 5-2 deficit with five runs in the seventh and held on to defeat Staunton, 7-6. The Tom Sox won the series 2-0 and await the winner of the Waynesboro-Harrisonburg series.

Josh Hall’s (Patrick Henry CC) two-run double in the top of the seventh put the Braves up 5-2, but the Tom Sox took advantage of two Staunton errors to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Caiden Combs (Auburn) and Harrison Campi (Wofford) produced run-scoring singles in the Tom Sox seventh.

Combs finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Charlottesville. Asher Sabom (Augusta) came in in the ninth and stranded the potential tying run at third to earn the save.

Hall was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Drew Lucy (Concord also finished with two runs batted on for the Braves. Keegan Haesler (JMU) and Braeden Trajkovski (Walters State) both had two base hits.

Staunton starter Nick Gilpin (St. John’s) pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just one earned run.

Generals Force Game 3

Waynesboro rode a strong pitching performance by Kevin Samonsky (College of Charleston) to defeat Harrisonburg 8-1, forcing a third and deciding game at Waynesboro on Friday.

Samonsky pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out four and walked two.

The Generals took the lead with three runs in the second inning and pulled away. Kealo Smith (Southern Virginia), Sam Guth (Coastal Alabama) and Ben Geary (Florence Darlington Tech) each drove in a run for Waynesboro in the second.

Jonah St. Antoine (Florida Gulf Coast) was 4-for-5 with two RBIs to spark the Generals. Nik Pereira (Tampa) and Smith each posted two base hits, and Geary drove in two runs.

For the Turks, Andy Perez (Florida Southwestern) had two hits and drove in the team’s lone run.

Cannons Stay Alive

Purcellville led 7-2 after two innings and padded its lead late to defeat Strasburg 13-6, forcing Game 3 in the North.

The Cannons scored four runs in the bottom of the first, two on a double by Vicenzo Cusat (Frederick CC) and two more on a home run by Erick Nartinez (North Central Texas).

Strasburg’s Caden Haywood (Western Carolina) delivered a two-run single in the second to close the margin to 4-3, but the Cannons matched the Express with three runs in the bottom of the second to lead 7-3. Martinez singled home a run and Seth Williams (West Virginia) scored two more with a double.

Tanner Waldrop (Auburn) singled home two runs with no outs in the third to pull the Express to within one run, 7-6, but the Cannons’ pitching staff silenced the Express the rest of the way.

For the Cannons, Williams was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Martinez finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Ethan Acevedo (VCU) was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Cusat was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.

Walker Cloudt (Messiah) pitched four shutout innings in relief to get the win. He allowed just three hits while striking out four batters and walked two. Johnny Montgomery (Niagara) finished up with three scoreless innings to record the save. Montgomery allowed one hit and struck out two batters.

For the Express, Haywood was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Tommy Kirwan (Wofford) added three hits.