Cannons vs. Woodstock River Bandits Recap
By: Lauren Fulton
The Purcellville Cannons have finally clinched a much-needed win after facing off
against the Woodstock River Bandits earlier this evening. The Cannons had a relatively
slow start to the game, however, they were able to prove their grit and persistence
throughout the course of the game and come up big offensively during the later
innings. The final score for the evening was 10-5, with many of the players
experiencing their own individual successes, as adjustments were made from games
played earlier this week. We all knew the losing streak wouldn’t last forever, it just took
something special to bring this team back together. With a few new faces becoming a
little more familiar to us all, the Cannons are finally working together as a unit ready to
take on the second round of each Valley League team.
The starting pitcher for the evening was Austin King, (SO; San Jacinto College North),
who successfully secured the win for the Cannons early on in the game. It’s no secret
that earlier this week, the bullpen wasn’t at its full strength – many pitchers struggled to
locate pitches and get timely strikeouts, but tonight was a different story. King pitched
a total of 5 innings, allowing just 4 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and just 2 earned runs.
He put the team on his shoulders and was able to get the job done for over half of the
game. First in relief for the night was Keegan Zinn, (FR; undecided), who pitched for 0.1
innings, allowing no hits, but walked 3 batters, and allowed 1 earned run. Following
Zinn was Jaxson Dalena, (SO; Shippensburg University), who pitched for 1.2 innings,
allowing no hits, and no runs, walking just 1 batter, with one accompanying strikeout.
He was then relieved by Will Ricketts, (JR; Frostburg State University), who pitched for
1 inning, allowing no hits, no runs, no walks, and no strikeouts during his time on the
mound. Our final pitcher for the evening was Luke Lyman, (FR; Morehead State
University), who pitched for 1.1 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 earned runs, all
while finishing off the River Bandits with 2 strikeouts to help clinch the final outs of the
game. All in all, the pitching staff worked together cohesively throughout the night in
order to get the job done for the Cannons and help complement the offensive power
shown tonight.
The offense tonight was phenomenal, with big-time performances from many different
Cannons players. Starting off the night with a pair of home runs were none other than
Bear Horowicz, (SO; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill), and Kainen Jorge, (SO;
College of Central Florida). Horowicz successfully went 1 for 2 on the evening, drawing
3 successful walks as the DH. Jorge also had a good night at the plate, going 2 for 5,
with his other hit being a double, and recorded a much-needed RBI for the Cannons
offense. Justin Acal, (SR; University of Pittsburgh), Brady Drawbaugh, (SO, College of
Central Florida), and Joseph Eichelberger, (JR; Paul D Camp), all went 2 for 5 at the
plate, each drawing a walk, and an RBI to help their team advance closer to the win.
MJ Rodriguez, (SO; Texas AU Kingsville), came up big for the team as a pinch-hitter off
the bench, going 1 for 1 at the plate, and scoring 2 crucial RBIs, earning him honors as
one of the “clutch” players of the game.
Tristan McAlister, (SR. Mt. St. Mary’sUniversity), made his debut as a Purcellville Cannon as he successfully went 2 for 4 at
the plate, drawing a walk and helping his new teammates move towards success.
Brennan Hudson, (SO; Georgia State University), also had a great night at the plate,
going 1 for 5 but scoring 2 more RBIs for his team! It’s pretty safe to say that the
Cannon’s offense got tired of losing and made the changes necessary to dominate at
the plate.
Our defense for the night remained solid, and for the first game all year, recorded no
errors! Catching for the Cannons was Brennan Hudson, who was relieved later on in
the evening by Jose Torres, while he moved to take over first base. Starting at first was
Austin Eppley, (SO; College of Central Florida), playing second was Tristan McAlister,
playing shortstop was Justin Acal, and finishing off the defense at third was Mikey
Brinton, (Jr; University of Arkansas Fort Smith). Our outfield for the evening was
designed for success with Brady Drawbaugh in left field, Kainen Jorge in center field,
and Joseph Eichelberger in right field. Each player played for each other, and worked
together to secure the win, to finish off the week on a high note!
The Cannons will be off this Monday for recovery purposes but will return back to
Fireman’s Field on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm to take on the Harrisonburg Turks for the
first time this season. Come out and show your support! We’ll be expecting you!