Purcellville Cannons vs. Strasburg Express – 7/20/2023 – By: Lauren Fulton
There’s an old saying in baseball that in order to successfully win a game, “2 of the 3 components” of the game have to be working together. Whether it’s offense, defense, or pitching, if two aspects are “on fire”, odds are the team will walk away with a win. I can safely say that during last night’s performance, the Cannons had every single aspect of the game working together cohesively to walk away with a much-needed team win. The Cannons are now currently on a 2 game win streak, so they hope to carry this momentum as they head back to Purcellville to take on the Turks for the last time this season.
The pitching staff was on fire for the Cannons tonight, with just two pitchers coming in to completely dominate tonight’s game. Our starting pitcher for tonight’s game was Jaxson Dalena, (SO; Shippensburg University), who pitched for 5 innings, giving up 3 hits, 3 walks, and just 2 earned runs. Dalena has been one of the most powerful arms out of the bullpen for the Cannons this season, proving his dominance time and time again. It’s no secret that the Express is one of the best teams in the Valley League, so being able to not just compete but dominate during tonight’s matchup. Our relief pitcher for the evening was fan-favorite Poopy Ricketts, (JR; Frostburg State University), who came in and absolutely shoved for the last 3 innings. Poopy gave up just 2 hits, and 1 earned run during his time on the mound, proving once again his reliability as a crucial member of the Cannon’s bullpen staff this summer.
The Cannons offense was once again electric, as they had a grand total of 12 hits, and 13 runs scored during tonight’s game. Justin Acal, (SR; University of Pittsburgh), and Jack McDonald, (SR; Wilmington University), both went yard during tonight’s game, coming up big when it was necessary. Keegan Knuston, (SO; San Jacinto College North), had another great night at the plate going 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs, doing what needed to be done in order to generate more runs for the Cannons offense. Jack McDonald, Brayden Caskey, (JR; Arkansas State University), Bear Horowicz, (SO; Samford University), and Jo Eichelberger, (JR; Jackson State University), all had 2 hits on the evening, keeping their batting averages high, and doing what needs to be done in order to secure a big lead over a team as good as Strasburg. Caskey also demonstrated his worth as a disciplined hitter, drawing 3 walks in the evening, and getting on base every time he was up to bat for tonight’s matchup. All in all, the Cannon’s offense has been on fire lately, putting up at least 10 runs for the past 3 games played. Hopefully, they will be able to continue this momentum as they finish off the regular season conference and head into playoffs.
The defense for the evening was set up for success, with just 2 errors made throughout the entirety of the game. Catching for the Cannons was Jack McDonald, playing first base was Bear Horowicz, at second base, was Brayden Caskey, at shortstop was Justin Acal, and rounding off the defense was once again, Keegan Knuston. Our outfielders for the evening began with Jackson Micheels, (JR; University of Purdue Fort Wayne), in left field, Mikey Brinton, (JR; University of Arkansas Fort Smith), in center field, and Jo Eichelberger in right field. The Cannon’s defense has been exceptional the whole summer, which has greatly helped in their success throughout the season.
The cannons will return back to Fireman’s Field tomorrow evening at 7:00 pm, where they will take on the first place Harrisonburg Turks. The Cannons will play 3 more home games to finish off the 2023 regular season, before heading into playoffs. As always, we appreciate all of y’all’s support, and we hope to see you back at Fireman’s Field!