By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
FORK UNION – The Miller School broke to a strong start and never looked back in its non-league victory over Fork Union on Saturday.
The Mavericks exploded for 11 runs over the first three innings en route to the 16-9 win on a beautiful day at Fork Union.
“We really came out and attacked – something we try to preach with our guys a lot,” Miller coach Sam Beale said. “Be aggressive and good things happen — and they were that way today, both offensively and defensively. I’m real proud of my guys today. We’re just a small Division 3 school, and we beat a pretty good team today so we’re excited about that.”
The Mavericks put up four runs in the first inning, including two with a single from Jarrad Moscicki (2 for 4, 3 RBI) on a well-hit ball to left field. Eric Ponton drew a walk to load the bases, but Alan White, who relieved starter Robert Guarnieri, got out of the jam unscathed.
Miller continued its hot hitting in the second as Thomas Stallings crushed the ball to left-center field for a two-run homer. Stallings, a senior shortstop, is headed to VMI next year.
The Mavericks (12-4) did some more damage in the third, scoring five more runs to give Ponton, the starter, an 11-run cushion. Jeremy Walker and Kody Rose each hit two-run doubles to extend the lead.
Fork Union’s Zac Williams gave up back-to-back base hits in the fourth, but did not allow a run thanks to the help of his infield, which turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Blue Devils cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out rally.
FUMA, which starts five sophomores, got timely hits up and down the order, as Charlie Carter led off with a single. Quadariis Newkirk hit a double to center before Williams cleared the bases with a single. Tom Regn followed with an RBI double and Sam Slough continued the hit streak with a base hit. Regn scored on a passed ball just before Christian Hackenberg provided the highlight of the inning with a two-run home run to left-center field to make the score 11-6.
“We battled back in the fourth inning and I was impressed with how the kids kept hitting the ball,” Fork Union coach Ben Paris said. “We’re doing a lot of good things, but we just started hitting the ball too late today.”
The Blue Devils scored one run in each of the final three innings, but it was too little, too late. The Mavericks also tacked on five more runs before all was said and done.
“We had some good at-bats and even some timely walks. We just kept a lot of pressure on them and when things got a little out of hand, we just kept on coming,” Beale said. “That’s what I told my kids I really liked – the game was 11-0 and all of a sudden it was 11-5 and they have some pretty good arms out there. And my guys just kept on playing, so I’m real pleased with where we are right now.”
Miller, which has won four straight, plays host to Holy Cross on Tuesday and 4:30 p.m., while Fork Union (6-8) visits Christchurch.
