Fauquier crushes Cardinals

By Greg Brill -- sports@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL -- Just two pitches into the game, the tone was set.

Dropping a bunt down the third-base side, Fauquier's Chad Oberacker forced Front Royal pitcher Shane Galloway to rush to field and make a wild throw to first, resulting in a three-base error.

Justin Wilson followed with a grounder to short, that Brandon Brewer threw away. Wilson would come around to score on a third Front Royal error in the first inning, and the Cardinals made seven errors total in their 13-1 loss Monday night at Bing Crosby Stadium.

After beginning the season 4-0, Front Royal has dropped four in a row to fall to .500.

"I'm taking responsibility for the loss," Front Royal manager Joe Scarano said. "You know, we put a lot of work into winning those four games. Guys were out here a week early, having two-a-day practices, and it was a real simple equation. We worked hard and we earned four wins. Since then we've had new guys come in and we've backed off a little bit with the work part. And it shows.

"I'll take responsibility for the loss today, but I told our guys this is the last one I'm taking responsibility for."

The Gators snapped a two-game skid and joined the Cardinals with a 4-4 record.

Even without much help from his defense, Galloway kept Front Royal competing for five innings, trailing just 2-1 heading to the sixth. But a two-out error by third baseman Peter Goudeau on Wilson's grounder allowed Chad Pierce to score. Ryan Gauck then hit a deep fly to center that Buddy Sosnoski seemed to have a beat on until the ball trailed away at the last moment and dropped for a two-run double.

Putting more pressure on the Cardinals than it did in a 6-3 loss to Front Royal on June 10, Fauquier opened things up late by scoring at least one run in each of its last four innings. The Gators finished up with five runs in the ninth.

The MVP of the game for Fauquier was not a hitter, but left-hander David Hayes. Making his second straight start against the Cardinals, Hayes pitched a complete game.

"Today he had a nice, clean start in good weather and he was awesome," Fauquier manager Paul Koch said. "He got ahead early in the count and was trying to keep the big guys off-balance. He did a great job."

In last week's start, Hayes gave up a three-run homer to Jared Simon in the first then had to sit through a three-hour rain delay. Hughes came back to pitch two more innings before getting lifted.

On Monday, Hayes gave up a leadoff single to Cody Kaufmann, a steal, and Steve McQuail's RBI single. Front Royal got nothing else, as Hayes, who just finished his freshman year at Mississippi State, pitched a five-hitter, walked two, and struck out eight in going the distance.

"This week I had all four of my pitches working and I felt good," Hayes said. "[Catcher] Chad [Pierce] kept me on the corners of the plate and I was able to get guys out and keep them off-balance."

Oren Rasowsky, Carrick Tuck, and Dan Rossignol all pitched in relief for the Cardinals.

"We've just got to roll up our sleeves and put in the work that is required," Scarano said. "Anytime you're up against a losing streak, no one is going to lay down for you."