By Aaron Perryman / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
Through 4.2 innings Tuesday night, the Albemarle and Fluvanna American Legion baseball teams were locked up in a 2-0 pitchers’ duel. And then in a span of just four batters, Albemarle Post 74 (2-0) tallied six runs to blow open the contest and eventually win 10-0 over Fluvanna Post 2003 (0-1) in the bottom of the eighth inning when the run-rule was invoked in American Legion action Tuesday.
Albemarle’s Vince Coles ripped a two-RBI double to left center field in the bottom of the first but after that, the game was a stalemate with either team capable of pulling out the victory — until the fifth inning.
Centerfielder Rashad Talley got things started with two outs in the fifth when the recent Albemarle graduate slapped an RBI double to left center field, plating catcher Logan Forloines. After the next batter walked, right fielder Eli Haden, who notched three hits on the night, walked to the plate and immediately crushed a three-run home run off Fluvanna’s Kurt Fleming over the left field fence. Another batter walked and then Coles, who finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs on the night, smacked his own long ball, this one into the woods beyond the right field fence. Jake Hendrix and Andrew Kaylis recorded the final RBIs off singles in the sixth and eight innings, respectively.
“We left a lot of base runners on early in the game,” said Albemarle coach Mike Maynard. “(Haden) got us rolling, and hitting is contagious. Once one guy gets a good cut the others feel confident.”
Talley, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, contributed on the defensive side as well, making a spectacular diving catch in center field during the fourth inning that robbed Fluvanna of a run.
“Throughout the whole game we were [positioned for] opposite field hits, and [Fluvanna right fielder Kyle Pillow] pulled it so I was just trying to run it down,” Talley said. “I thought it was in my reach so I dove for it. It was a pretty far run.”
Added Maynard: “Rashad made an unbelievable catch. It was a 2-0 game when that happened. I don’t know where he came from to catch that ball — I didn’t think he’d get there but he just laid out. It was one of the better catches I’ve ever seen.”
Although Albemarle eventually scored 10 runs, its defense held down Fluvanna for the entire game, committing only two errors while making several solid plays.
“We have a really good defense — probably the best defensive team I’ve ever been on,” Talley said. “We try to build the team on defense and just go with the offense from there.”
Like the defense behind him, Albemarle starting pitcher Chris Madison was on point all night. The Western Albemarle senior worked six innings of no-run, four-hit baseball while striking out six and walking only three.
“[Madison] threw well—he had his curveball working and he kept them off balance,” Maynard said, noting the offensive firepower Fluvanna boasted. “He had good velocity on his fastball—I was really proud of him. He’s a very good pitcher and he was on tonight.”
J.D. Ballard was flawless in relief, holding Fluvanna hitless in the seventh and eighth innings. Madison and Ballard’s counterparts from Fluvanna did not fare as well. Gunnar Carroll, Fleming, Johnny Lowery and Christian Oliver combined to give up 14 hits, with the floodgates opening in the fifth inning. Fluvanna’s offense failed to provide a boost to the pitchers’ outing, which was solid up to that point.
“We’ve been off a couple weeks from swinging the bats,” said Fluvanna coach Eric Miles. “First game for these guys and we didn’t swing it tonight. I expect that to pick up. A lot of ball left this season and our goals remain the same. I like our chances throughout the season.”
