Bandits deal 'Blow' to divisional rivals

By Dennis Atwood -- sports@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- The Woodstock River Bandits sent eight batters to the plate in three innings -- and scored three runs each time -- in a 9-4 win over Central Division rival New Market Rebels on Monday.

Woodstock was on the short end of one-run decisions the previous two nights, 5-4 in 12 innings against Luray and 6-5 versus New Market on Sunday.

"We got out of some tough situations and Jonathan [McElroy] worked out of some trouble, and our relievers finished up well," River Bandits coach Donn Foltz said. "It was a good team effort and I don't think we had any errors.

"It's a funny game. One night you can have 10 hits and no errors and lose, and tonight we had 13 hits, which wasn't at all unlucky, and get the win."

New Market cruised to a 3-0 lead at the end of three innings, as starter Joseph Hammond limited the River Bandits to two singles, struck out three, issued two walks, and was aided by a 4-3 double play in the third inning.

Then Woodstock launched the first of three hitting barrages in the fourth.

Leftfielder Erik Kroll, shortstop Derek Vigoa and third baseman Jonathan Koscso each hit RBI singles.

Second baseman Cory Tilton executed a key one-out sacrifice bunt, advancing Matthew Blow and Kroll to second and third, respectively, and each crossed the plate.

Hammond stayed in the game to retire the side in order in fifth and was then lifted for Spencer Clifft, who issued one-out walks to Kroll and Tilton. Vigoa followed with an RBI single, Tilton scored on a passed ball, and designated hitter Michael Garza drove in Vigoa with a single.

Those three runs hung the loss on Clifft.

McElroy pitched six innings and dented his 0.87 ERA a bit by giving up three earned runs on seven hits with five Ks and two walks. But he benefited from the home team's three runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead 6-3, enabling him to pick up the win and improve to 2-1 on the season.

"I couldn't get my off-speed pitches to work early, so they were sitting on my fastballs, and they hit them better than in my last outing," McElroy said. "I picked it up after the third inning, and shut them down in the next three."

Blow (2-for-4, RBI, two runs), of Virginia Tech, turned in a fielding gem, snagging a scorching one-hopper off the bat of Sanchez Gartman, which he turned into a 3-6-3 double play to end the New Market seventh. He followed that by bashing a solo home-run 15 feet beyond the centerfield fence to lead off the seventh, which turned out to be another eight-batter, three-run inning.

"I hit it pretty good and knew it was going out," Blow said. "It's my second one of the year and I'm really benefiting from all the work in the Valley League because I lost my starting position to someone else at Tech."

Douglas Wagner, Daniel Lazzaroni and Guido Knudson pitched the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to preserve the win for Woodstock.

Monday's win puts Woodstock ahead, 3-2, in the "Battle of I-81," with three games remaining against the Rebels. The I-81 trophy is awarded to the winner after each game until the season series is completed and the overall winner is determined.