Purcellville Cannons vs. Harrisonburg Turks – 7/21/2023 – By: Lauren Fulton
The Cannons returned back to Fireman’s Field this past Friday to take on the Harrisonburg Turks for the fourth time this 2023 summer season. The Turks have remained solid throughout the whole summer, currently holding one of the best records in the Valley League, keeping them currently in first place for the playoffs. Tonight was a highly anticipated matchup against these two teams, so the boys were eager to lace up their cleats and take on Harrisonburg one last time. Unfortunately for the Cannons, they did suffer a loss with the final score being 15-6. Although it wasn’t the best performance, the Cannons played relatively well, the Turks just did a great job playing routine baseball.
Our starting pitcher for the evening was Jabbari Smith, (SR; undecided), who pitched for 3 innings, giving up 11 hits, and 6 runs during his time on the mound. Smith has been very helpful to the Cannons bullpen throughout the summer, and even though it wasn’t his best outing, credit is due to the Turks lineup, whose offense has been electric throughout the summer season. First in relief for tonight was Isaac Kopalchick, (JR; Elgin Community College), who pitched for 1.1 innings, giving up 3 hits, 2 walks,a and 3 earned runs. Following him out of the bullpen was RJ Watanable, (JR; Coffeyville Community College), who pitched for 2.2 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 more earned run. Up next was newcomer Daniel Keane, (SR; Shepherd University), who pitched for 1 inning, giving up 1 hit, 1 walk, and 2 more runs during his time on the mound. Our final pitcher for the evening was Nate Spinks, (SR; Coastal Carolina University), who pitched for 1 inning, giving up 3 hits, 1 walk, and 3 earned runs during the final inning of the game. Again, it wasn’t the best night for the Cannons pitching staff, but as previously mentioned, the Turks do have one of the best offenses in the Valley League, so they gave the Cannon’s pitching staff a good challenge.
Our offense tonight had some noteworthy moments, with Ryne Guida, (SR; Florida International University), going 2 for 4 with 1 RBI, demonstrating his ability to play routine baseball and generate runs. Chayce Bryant, (SR; Southeastern University), and Jose Torres, (SR; University of Louisiana Lafayette), both have 2 RBIs on the night, helping the Cannons offense “pick up the slack”. There were also a combined total of 4 doubles hit by the Cannons offense, recorded by Ryne Guida, Jose Torres, Justin Acal, (SR; University of Pittsburgh), and Mikey Brinton, (JR; University of Arkansas Fort Smith). It was a bit of a “slower” night for the Cannons offense, however, the boys are confident they will be able to finish out the season on a high note, learning from their experiences through this past game.
The defense for the Cannons looked relatively similar to what the fans are used to seeing by now, with players becoming more and more familiar each time the boys play at home. Our catcher for the evening was Jose Torres, playing first base was Ryne Guida, at second base, was Brayden Caskey, (JR; Arkansas State University), at short stop was Justin Acal, and finishing off the infield at third base was Keegan Knuston, (SO; San Jacinto College North). Our outfielders for the evening began with Mikey Brinton in left field, Daryl Buggs 2nd, (SR; University of Alabama Birmingham), in center field, and Jackson Micheels, (JR; University of Purdue Fort Wayne) in right field. The Cannons had one error on the evening, playing clean defense as per usual.
The Cannons will hit the road for the next game, as they take on the New Market Rebels for the fourth time this season. The boys will then return back to Fireman’s Field this Sunday for a very special occasion – that’s all the spoilers for now, folks! We hope to see y’all in the stands as we take on the Culpeper Cavaliers at 7:00 pm sharp, here in downtown Purcellville!