At the end of the day, Orange Post 156 can just be happy that they shook off the monkey off their back that was Sunday’s strikeout marred evening. Still, up 9-2 on Fluvanna Post 2003 in the fifth inning, Orange would have liked to get credit for a victory. But thanks to an ugly severe thunderstorm the two played to a draw since neither squad was interested in making up the contest on Wednesday, just one day before the District 13 tournament begins.
“Fluvanna is locked into the seventh seed and the outcome doesn’t effect our seeding so it made sense for us to do it this way,” said Orange coach Brian Rasnick.
Fluvanna’s seeding is unaffected by the result, and Orange is still in the position that a win over Staunton Post 13 on Tuesday gives them a home game against Staunton on Thursday, a loss would put them on the road, also against Post 13.
Before the game was called, Orange had put together a solid offensive performance, much to Rasnick’s delight after his team piled up 22 strikeouts in a loss to Albemarle Post 74 the night before.
“Baseball is a stupidly funny game sometimes to where you can strikeout 22 times and then tonight, our approach was excellent,” Rasnick said. “We were driving everything to the middle and the right side which we hadn’t been doing a good job of even when we were playing well. Our approach, as bad as it was last night, it was that good tonight. It was fun.”
After Chase Stanley drove in Brock Harris on an RBI single in the top of the first, Orange answered with a 3-run bottom half of the inning.
It began with a walk and two stolen bases from Randolph Macon bound Jesse Getchel. Snooter Merrymen brought Getchel home on an RBI single, stole a base, moved over to third thanks to a Tres Winkler single and finally took home on a wild pitch. Winkler was driven in soon there after on a 2-out single from Ryan Hutchinson.
Orange extended its lead to six thanks to a 2-out, 4-run rally in the second. Andrew Kalis started the spree with a walk and two stolen bases. After a walk to Merryman, both runners scored on a triple to the gap in Portefield park’s endless center field from Winkler.
“On that triple his dummy coach held him up — he should have had an inside the park home run there,” Rasnick joked. “But he still drilled it. He’s been hitting better these last two or three weeks than I think he thought he could.”
Trey Maupin later plated Winkler when he reached base on an error, and finally a strike out in the dirt followed by an error allowed Maupin to reach home to cap the scoring in the second.
In the top of the third Sam Turner cranked out triple and scored thanks to a ground out RBI from Stanley.
Orange answered with two more runs. Mitchell King led off the bottom of the third with a triple. In the next at bat Getchel cranked an RBI triple. Hutchinson then came through with a bases loaded single.
Post 156 got three solid innings of work from Winkler, who pitched this spring as a reliever for Bridgewater. Winkler allowed three hits and finished with three strikeouts.
In the middle of the fourth lightning delayed the contest and not too much later, heavy rain made it a wrap.
Fluvanna is off until the District 13 tournament begins.
Orange travels to Staunton on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to finish its regular season.
