Both pitchers worked out of first inning jams and made it past the seventh inning. But Fluvanna County’s Zach Crawford earned the win against Western Albemarle in a tight contest when teammate Mason Barringer drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth and the Flucos ace met the heart of Warriors order and struck out the side. The 2-1 victory wasn’t just a win for Fluvanna as it came into the contest playing for a little bit more than just the game, and the outcome, along with the rest of Fridays results created an odd 4-way tie for second place in the Jefferson District.
“This game was for (assistant coach Bryan Searcy),” said Fluvanna coach Mike Sheridan. “His family is struggling, his dad is really sick and the kids came out and flat out said ‘Let’s get out here and play for Coach Searcy.’ They went to war.”
Before Crawford got into trouble in the bottom of the first, Western starter Jack Maynard worked his way through a rough stretch. With two runners on, Maynard earned the second out of the inning, but saw the bases get loaded when he hit Barringer. However, the sophomore answered that by ending the top half with another strike out.
Crawford got into trouble in the bottom of the first behind a pair of errors and a passed ball to put runners on first and third, but pop fly with 2-outs send Fluvanna back to the plate with the game still tied.
It stayed that way until the top of the fifth. After Nolan Radcliffe reached base on an error, Sam Turner brought him home on a double, but the Flucos cleanup hitter was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple.
With its back against the wall trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Western answered. Tanner Knight first ran out a strike out in the dirt with one down. Leadoff hitter John Mastakas moved Knight to third on a single and eventually scored on a Parker Morris sacrifice fly.
Fluvanna struck back in the top of the eighth though. Turner earned a leadoff walk and a passed ball and wild pitch put him on third with nobody out. Barringer brought Turner in on an RBI single.
“I knew I had to get this hit,” Barringer said. “I battled off a couple of foul balls and was able to put one in play.”
That was all that Crawford needed as he closed out the bottom of the eighth with a three of his 11 strike outs. He finished giving up just two walks and three hits.
“I was struggling with back problems all game and thankfully the trainer was there to help me through it, but the eighth was probably the inning I had all game,” Crawford said. “Tonight was for Coach Searcy, we did everything for him.”
Maynard finished with 7 and one third innings pitched and eight strikeouts.
“Jack really deserved a better fate because we were just awful offensively,” said Western coach Skip Hudgins. “You know there’s really no other way to put it. We did not hit.”
Offensively, Brock Harris was 2 for 5 for Fluvanna. Turner was 1 for 2 with a pair of walks and his team’s only extra base hit. Crawford was 2 for 4 and Jalen Harrison was 1 for 3.
For Western, Kurt Adcock was 1 for 3. Dylan Weis and Steve Mangrum were each 1 for 4.
At the midway point of the JD tilt, Fluvanna, Western, Monticello and Louis County are all tied for second place sporting 2-3 records with Powhatan in firm control at 5-0.
Fluvanna (8-7) travels to Louisa County on Friday at 6 p.m
Western (8-6) jumps out of district to play Miller today at home at 12 p.m.
