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North Downs South
HAYMARKET – Thanks to a three-run fifth, the North defeated the South 6-4 in the 2011 Valley Baseball League All-Star game hosted by the Haymarket Senators Sunday evening.
The South took the early lead with a first inning home run from Harrisonburg’s Sam Dove, but this would be the squad’s only lead of the night.
The North tied it in the second on a two-out RBI single to right by Winchester’s Keaton Neeb and never trailed again.
Neeb’s lined single scored Strasburg’s Joseph Bennie, who doubled to right center with one out.
The North sandwiched two walks around three singles to start the fifth.
North MVP Michael Vinson (Woodstock) drove in the go-ahead run with a single to center.
Winchester’s Ben Hammer and Haymarket’s Matt Marra drove in the second and third runs with a single and a groundout, respectively.
Vinson also drove in his team’s final run of the game with a single to score Front Royal’s Chris Triplett from third.
Triplett had the game-winning RBI with a single to center that plated Haymarket’s Mike Snyder and advanced to third when the ball was misplayed in center for a two-base error.
The South got itself back into it with two runs in the seventh and one more in the ninth, but Front Royal’s Kyle Scallion struck out Dodson McPherson (Harrisonburg) to end the contest.
Scallion earned the save by getting two groundouts to second and the McPherson strikeout after allowing a leadoff double by South MVP MJ Sartin.
Sartin also produced the South’s second run with a solo HR to right with one out in the seventh.
Sartin had three of the South’s eight hits, an RBI and also scored twice.
Mac Williamson (Harrisonburg), who won the home run derby prior to the contest, was 2 for 4 while Staunton’s Josh Tutwiler was 2 for 2.
Strasburg’s Jonathan Jones, the fifth pitcher of the night for the North, earned the win on the mound. He allowed one hit and struck out one in his only inning of work.
Waynesboro’s Andrew Reck was tagged with the loss. He gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in the fifth.
Notes: Williamson defeated Brad Zebedis (Strasburg) for the home run derby crown. Williamson had six dingers in the first round, tied Zebedis with five in the finals and then hit his second HR in the overtime round with three outs to spare. Zebedis qualified with two dingers in the opening round and put the pressure on Williamson with five in the finals – Williamson hit two straight HR with eight outs to tie Zebedis and force the extra round… Williamson, Zebedis, Nathan Minnich (Winchester), Anthony Stokes (Covington) and Dodson McPherson (Harrisonburg) will represent the VBL in Monday’s home run derby against the Cal Ripken All-Stars… A total of 46 players saw action in the game with two players - Gibby Briones (Winchester) and Stephen Oswald (New Market) - both pitching and playing in the field…
