Sometimes you’ve got to get some lucky breaks. Fluvanna got one Tuesday night in the eighth inning when an error on a Kyle Algieri fly ball scored Steven Monahan to put the Flucos up on the Patriots.
Then Fluvanna pitcher Wyatt Dansey held on in the bottom half — after making things interesting with a couple of walks — striking out the final batter as Fluvanna held on to a 3-2 win in eight innings on the road against Albemarle.
What became a pitchers’ duel pitted Fluvanna’s Kevin Ward against the Patriots’ Chris Cook. Ward struck out eight and allowed just three hits and two walks in six innings of work, surrendering just a single earned run over that span. Cook only needed one strikeout to hold the Flucos (8-2) to two runs in his six innings, allowing a couple of walks and six hits, an impressive effort against a seasoned Fluvanna lineup. Both Dansey who relieved Ward and struck out three in two innings and Jett Shue who took over for Cook were also solid, with Shue not allowing a hit in the seventh or eighth while Dansey managed to work out of the eighth inning jam created by two walks.
Jacob Critzer had a big night at the plate for the Flucos, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double. He hit a solo home run in the fourth that put the Flucos up 1-0 that Mason Gross followed with a sacrifice groundout to score Cameron Shields later in the inning.
John Rittenhouse, who went 2-for-3 at the plate, had a double in the fourth inning.
Albemarle (5-3) rallied from down 2-0 when Jack Bruns singled in the bottom of the sixth to score Thomas Fisher, then Holden Merone doubled in the bottom of the seventh to score Ivan Rabinowitz and even the game at 2-2.
The Flucos will host Western Albemarle in a critical Jefferson District battle Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. while Albemarle tries to bounce back the same night at home against Powhatan.
