Express drop fifth straight to Bandits

View larger image Woodstock’s Max McEleney dives into second while Strasburg shortstop Joseph Bennie waits. Dennis Grundman/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image Strasburg's Connor Madden steals second and advances to third as the ball goes past Derek Vigoa of Woodstock. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Michael Vinson of Woodstock is congratulated after hitting a third inning home run by on-deck hitter Max McEleney. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Stefan Del Pino of Woodstock pitches against Strasburg in the first inning. Dennis Grundman/Daily

By Jeff Nations -- jnations@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- Woodstock River Bandits center fielder Tanner Leighton had no complaints about the haul for his 22nd birthday.

He got a card from his mom, sent all the way from Idaho. His host family hooked him up with a titanium necklace inscribed with one of his favorite Biblical verses.

No complaints really, not even after he got caught looking for strike three his first time up against Strasburg in Wednesday's Valley League game at First Bank Park.

Leighton had one more present coming, though, when Express starting pitcher Brent Griffin gift-wrapped a fat pitch over the center of the plate. Leighton connected for a solo home run, the start of a 3-for-4 effort that helped the River Bandits to a 12-1 victory in a battle of last-place teams.

"I thought it was up, but the guy that matters [the home-plate umpire] didn't think it was up and that's all that matters," Leighton said. "I just came back next AB, saw a good pitch and put a good swing on it."

Leighton finished the night with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs after reaching base five times as he picked up right where he left off following the VBL's All-Star break. Leighton, who plays collegiately at the NAIA level for The Master's College in Santa Clarita, Calif., is in his first season playing in the VBL after two years in the West Coast League.

"I'm just trying to make the most of the opportunity," Leighton said.

So far, so good.

Woodstock (11-20) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead helped along by Express shortstop Joseph Bennie's costly double error on Bret Lopez's grounder in the first inning. Leighton made it 3-0 with his solo shot in the third, and Derek Vigoa's RBI single pushed the River Bandits' edge to four runs in the fourth.

Woodstock starting pitcher Stefan Del Pino had been sailing up to that point, despite a nagging blister on the index finger of his pitching hand. In the bottom of the fifth, despite a super-glue fix to cover the bleeding blister, Del Pino had lost some feel for the ball and Strasburg seemed poised for a breakout. Bennie and Trey Such drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and Nick Barnes reached on an error to load the bases with no outs.

The next two at-bats symbolized the night for the Express. Blake Crabtree ripped a rocket shot straight back to Del Pino, who took the liner off his pitching arm but still had time to collect the ball and throw home for the force out. Sam Lewis came on in relief with the bases still loaded and promptly induced Strasburg's Kyle Zech into another hard comebacker to the mound that started an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.

"He made the play -- got a comebacker right at him," Del Pino said of Lewis. "It worked out."

Not so much, not for the Express.

"The two missiles we hit right back up the middle, it hits him and he knocks it down and makes the play -- at that point, I think you're a little snake-bit," Strasburg manager Butch Barnes said. "We just couldn't get a run across. We were kind of laughing in here.

"I mean, when you do things like that you can about pack it in because it's going to be like that all night long. It gets in your head a little bit."

Woodstock stretched its lead to 5-0 before Strasburg (9-22) finally did break through with a run in the sixth on Igor Molina's RBI infield single.

The River Bandits battered Strasburg's bullpen over the final two innings, converting seven hits into seven runs over the final two frames. Max McEleney's three-run homer in the ninth was the big blow, but the Express hurt their own cause with spotty pitching. Strasburg issued seven walks and hit four batters.

"I think that's what you get when you have days off," Barnes said. "I think we're better off just continuing to play. I know you want breaks, but you stay fresher when everybody's here."

Chris Gosik had a pair of singles to lead the Express. Five River Bandits had multi-hit games to back Del Pino (3-1), who worked 4 1/3 innings for the win.

"It felt good to get some things to go our way," Woodstock manager Brent Haring said. "We felt like we've been fighting the other way, so to get some balls to go our way tonight was very nice."