Cooled off: River Bandits halt Cardinals' five-game win streak

By Greg Brill -- sports@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- Cory Tilton was in a good spot to be successful.

Hitting eighth in Woodstock's batting order, Tilton knew he was going to get pitches to hit from Front Royal starting pitcher Shane Galloway, who twice found himself in jams during Wednesday night's Valley Baseball League game.

Galloway could not win the matchup either time against Tilton, who broke one tie with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and the final deadlock with a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth to lift the River Bandits to a 5-3 win at Central High School.

"It was a 1-0 count -- a hitter's count -- and he threw me a fastball on the outer third [of the plate] and I stayed with it," Tilton said of his two-RBI game-winning hit. "It was a good comeback here to beat them at home."

The bullpen work of Daniel Lazzaroni was just as crucial for Woodstock (14-12). Lazzaroni came on with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh and had the task of facing Jared Simon, who had an infield single earlier in the game to extend his league-best hit streak to 17. Holding a two-run lead, Lazzaroni induced Simon to tap into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

"I was trying to work the count, trying to get [Simon] behind," Lazzaroni said. "I just made a good pitch and he beat it into the ground. That was big for us."

Front Royal (14-12), which saw its five-game win streak end, never seriously threatened again.

Woodstock manager Donn Foltz was happy to get quality pitching and hitting in the same game.

"Pitching and defense has been our forte all year and now we're starting to get some timely hits," Foltz said. "It's been like 'When are we going to start hitting?' I'm very pleased we put the bat on the ball a lot and ran the bases well."

The River Bandits put the heat on early. Gerardo Caceres drew a walk to open the Woodstock first after falling behind 0-2 in the count. Jonathan Koscso then drove an RBI double to deep left, moved to third on another deep fly out, then scored on Evan Kehoe's two-strike, two-out hit off a Galloway change-up for a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals tied it with back-to-back doubles in the second from Dan Evatt and Steve McQuail in the second, and James Roche's one-out infield hit in the third.

However, with the bases still loaded after Roche's single, Front Royal manager Joe Scarano had left-handed batter Kevin Krantz attempt a bunt. Krantz was only able to get his bunt a few feet in front of the plate, and catcher Shawn Ablett fielded and won a short footrace back to the plate to get the force.

"I wish I could go back and give him the chance to swing, because early in the game, as a visiting team, you really want to try to break it open," Scarano said. "Maybe the game goes the other way. So as a coach, you learn as you go."

Woodstock starter Heath Hatfield then got Jim Jacquot on a called third strike for the final out in an inning that began with promise for the Cardinals.

Ablett and Eric Kroll got Woodstock rolling with consecutive singles in its half of the fourth, with the second hit moving Ablett to third. Tilton then lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 3-2 lead.

Anthony Ottrando's second homer since joining Front Royal on June 25 -- a blast that cleared the 376-sign in left-center -- tied the game again at 3-3 in the fifth.

Galloway came back with an eight-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth, but ran into trouble right away in the sixth when shortstop Brandon Brewer booted Kehoe's grounder. Ablett (3-for-4) singled again and Kroll dropped a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Tilton then singled sharply up the middle to plate both Kehoe and Ablett.

"We got hits or sac flys when we needed them," Tilton said. "We got a lot of guys in from third base with less than two outs. That's what you've got to do to win."

Though he got the win in relief, Will Hudgins had trouble throwing strikes in the seventh. Hudgins got a quick first out before two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases for Front Royal. Foltz lifted Hudgins and brought on Lazzaroni, who came out of the bullpen and was effective last week when the River Bandits lost to the Cardinals on the road.

Facing Simon, who entered the game tied for second in the VBL with his seven homers, Lazzaroni got ahead in the count and made Simon hit his pitch for the key twin-killing.

"That was huge, because we didn't have Guido [Knudson], our closer," Foltz said. "[Knudson] had thrown three nights in a row and wasn't available. Danny gutted it up and his efforts on the mound tonight were huge."

Said Scarano: "Give them credit. They brought in two difficult arms and No. 16 [Lazzaroni] was really good. He carved up our right-handers. That's the way baseball goes sometimes."