Bandits win again, stay afloat in division

By Greg Brill -- sports@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- If the Valley Baseball League's Central Division needs a nickname, Woodstock manager Donn Foltz has one ready.

After the River Bandits defeated Luray 5-3 Friday night, Foltz, jokingly (perhaps) referred to the Central as "The American League East."

"It definitely gives us a little momentum going into two days of doubleheaders" Foltz said of the double-dips the River Bandits will play both today and Sunday. "We'll just have to get through these four games the best we can and keep getting timely hits. "

Left-hander Corey Witkowski (3-1) pitched into the sixth inning, setup-arms William Hudgins and Daniel Lazzaroni kept the game in hand, and closer Guido Knudson stranded two runners in scoring position in the ninth to give Woodstock (19-17) another group effort.

"They've always held up for us," Witkowski said of his bullpen mates. "Guido got in a little trouble, but I knew he'd get the third out."

Entering Friday, Luray and New Market each had 19 wins and Woodstock and Harrisonburg 18 apiece. Only two teams from each of the VBL's three divisions is assured of a playoff spot. There will be two wild-card teams and the Central still has a shot to get all four of its teams in.

Woodstock never trailed and manufactured runs the entire way. Possibly the biggest hit for the River Bandits came from centerfielder Steven Hunt in the fifth.

Luray starter Brandon Showmar got the nod for the first time Friday and battled throughout. Down 3-1 to begin the fifth, Showmar walked Matt Blow and Eric Kroll to begin the inning and was lifted after throwing 81 pitches in four-plus innings. The River Bandits nearly loaded the bases with no outs, but Luray third baseman Jacob Wilson charged and made a fine off-balance throw to nip Jonathan Koscso on his sacrifice bunt.

With runners on second and third, Hunt fell behind reliever Vance Chavis 0-2 in the count. Chavis then left a pitch up and Hunt crushed it to center for a two-RBI single and four-run lead.

"He had good stuff, it was an 0-2 count, and I was a little worried," Hunt said. "He hung it a little bit, and he had a good slider, and I tried to wind-down and shorten my swing. Luckily he left it up a little bit and I was able to put it in center field."

Hunt would be the only hitter to reach against Chavis, who retired the last 11 batters he faced.

Luray, which dropped three home games last week, has went with more of a youthful lineup in July. The Wranglers (19-16) had 12 hits against Woodstock, but stranded 14 runners.

"That's a credit to their pitchers and, I guess, a discredit to our hitters," Luray manager Mike Bocock said of his team's struggles to hit in the clutch. "We've just got to get it done when we have a chance."

The Wranglers put Witkowski in a couple tough spots early, but did little damage. Witkowski stranded two runners in the first by striking out the side and throwing 19 of 22 pitches for strikes. Witkowski got himself in an early groove by throwing first-pitch strikes to eight of the first 10 batters he faced.

Luray pushed its first run across on Alex Foltz's run-scoring single in the third and made it a 5-3 game in the fifth when Pablo Bermudez crushed a two-run double to the gap in right-center to end Witcowski's stint.

"The first couple of innings I got myself in trouble by walking a few people," said Witcowski, who walked four. "But my defense just took care of it for me."

Hudgins came on and walked Drew Martinez on a 3-2 pitch, but after Luray executed a double-steal, Hudgins caught A. J. Wirnsberger looking on a changeup to end the sixth.

In the seventh, Hudgins walked Cory Johnson with one out then gave up a deep fly to Jacob Wilson, which landed at the base of the fence in center for a double. Luray would not score, as the runners held on Garrett Whittels' ground out to third and Hunt's long run in to snag a fly hit by Josh Wright.

"That ball [hit by Wilson] was almost out of the park, and if it stays in it's a 5-5 game," Bocock said. "Any big hit we get changes the situation."

Witkowski had extra motivation for his start. Not only was the upcoming sophomore from Barry pitching against the Wranglers for the first time, but Witcowski also got a chance to face Bermudez and Whittels from cross-town school Florida International.

"I'm good friends with their shortstop [Whittels]," Witcowski said. "We've played summer ball the two years before this [together], and he went 3-for-3 off me today. He's really good."

Hunt said any win against a divisional foe looms large these days. Two games with Harrisonburg (today} and Luray again for two (on Sunday) will test Woodstock.

"With the double-headers coming up we're definitely going to have to manufacture runs," said Hunt, who went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice Friday. "There's not going to be a whole lot of runs [scored]."