Purcellville Cannons vs. Winchester Royals – (7/7/2023) – By: Lauren Fulton
Well Cannons fans, I am happy to report that the Cannons are back in the win column!!! Last night the Cannons headed down to Winchester, VA, to take on the Royals in their second double-header of the season. Unfortunately, due to yet another rain interference, only one game took place during the evening, but the Cannons walked away with their first game being won 11-2! As I previously mentioned, this game is a game of highs and lows, and I’m proud to report that in the midst of their series of lows, the boys were able to manufacture their own “high”, while beating one of their long-time rivals. The boys took the field together as a unit, and each played to their fullest potential. From the pitching staff to the offensive dominance, each of the boys played like the true Cannons team they were recruited to be.
Our only pitcher for this game was none other than Daniel Quintana, (FR; James Madison University). Quintana has proved his worth to this Cannon’s pitching staff more than once this season, and once again he proved just how valuable he is to this year’s team. Quintana pitched for all 7 innings, (since it was a doubleheader, the first game was only set to be 7 innings long), where he gave up 7 hits, and 4 walks, and only allowed 2 runs the entire game. He also acquired 3 strikeouts on the evening, which just proved how much he cared about helping command the zone for his teammates. Needless to say, his performance not only greatly helped his team walk away with a much-needed Cannons win, but he demonstrated his ability to lead through example, not just performance.
The Cannon’s offense played incredibly throughout the entire game. It’s been a long time since the boys truly attacked the ball at the plate, but the changes made in each swing and approach demonstrated how seriously they plan on approaching the end of the season. Before getting to the individual successes of each of the players, I feel it is important to note that the boys were able to draw a total of 12 walks on the evening. Walks are a crucial part of this game, and oftentimes they get overlooked. Walks provide baserunners in order for people to move around the bases, and by drawing as many walks as they had, they were constantly providing opportunities for their teammates to make something happen throughout the game.
Chayce Bryant, (SR; Southeastern University), had himself a night at the plate. Bryant had just 1 hit on the evening, but that hit happened to be a grand slam to knock in 4 insurance runs in the later innings of the game. He ended the night with 5 RBIs, going 1 for 5, but coming up clutch in the big moments, and helping his team score the runs necessary in order to win. Ryne Guida, (SR; Florida International University), and Mikey Brinton, (JR; University of Arkansas Fort Smith), both had 2 hits on the evening, both manufacturing runs and baserunners during their time in the batter’s box. Jaxson Dalena, (SO; Shippensburg University), went 1 for 5 on the evening, drawing 4 walks. He was constantly providing himself as a baserunner in order for his teammates to manufacture runs, which showed his true ability as a 2-way team player. Brayden Caskey, (JR; Arkansas State University), also drew 3 walks on the evening, providing himself as a valuable baserunner throughout the evening. In total, the Cannons had 9 hits on the evening, all of which were crucial to the success of the team on the field, with players contributing up and down the lineup.
The defense for the evening had no errors throughout the game, working solidly behind Quintana’s pitching performance. Catching for the evening was Jose Torres, (SR; University of Louisiana Lafayette), playing first base was Ryne Guida, playing second base was Mikey Brinton, playing shortstop was Brayden Caskey, and finishing off the infield was Keegan Knuston at third base. Our outfielders for the night started with Chayce Bryant in left field, Brady Drawbaugh, (SR; Mt. St. Mary’s University) in centerfield, and Jaxson Dalena in right field.
The Cannons will return back to Fireman’s Field tomorrow evening to take on the Staunton Braves at 7:00 pm. It’s been a while since we’ve been at home for a decent amount of time, but we are happy to report there will be no more back-to-back away games this season, so we look forward to seeing y’all a lot more towards the end of this season. You know what to do, Cannons fans – bring your family, friends, and anyone else you can think of, and we’ll see y’all back in the heart of Purcellville tomorrow evening, (July 8th).