The loss that Fluvanna Post 2003 endured on Thursday to Staunton Post 13 after leading by four in the ninth weighed heavy. The hole that Fluvanna faced on Friday against Albemarle Post 74 was significant, a 4-run deficit going into the seventh.
But this Fluvanna squad, which went through a rough run one year ago and enjoyed a hot start to this season before trudging through a lull, rallied back not behind one particular play, but rather a series of manufacturing runs. Once the momentum swung Fluvanna’s way, they held on, taking the lead in the eighth inning on an error that allowed Justin Cooper to score.
“What happened tonight is what happened when we were 6-1, moving guys over, throwing strikes and playing excellent defense,” said Post 2003 coach Rodney Carter. “There was no one guy for us tonight, it was the whole group and that’s what we need to win.”
Albemarle had its share of base runners, and 17 were left on base overall, but Post 74 couldn’t shake Fluvanna’s pitching or defense in the eighth and ninth as the home team sat down six of the last seven runners surrendering just one walk and no hits to close out the game.
“We had a couple of big chances early to blow the game open,” said Albemarle coach Mike Maynard. “You can’t leave a good team in the game.”
Timmy Aker threw six shutout innings to start the contest, but earned a no-decision in the process after the Fluvanna rally in the seventh.
“Timmy threw great for us but I think I left him in just a bit too long on a night like tonight, but we’ll live and learn from that,” Maynard said.
After some issues early, Cooper managed to throw eight innings for Post 2003 to earn the win. The Miller product who is headed to Mary Washington to continue his playing career had to work his way out of jams early to keep his team from facing a deficit too large to overcome.
“I started mixing up my pitches more and more as the game developed,” Cooper said. “My change up worked tonight. I spotted my fastball when I needed to and just tried to keep the 2-seem away.”
In the first, Albemarle’s Brett Johnson singled with Lee Carneal on base but Fluvanna manged to snag Johnson heading to second base to end the inning.
Albemarle drew first blood in the second on a single by Spencer Breeden followed by an error on a ball put in play by Jack Maynard. Post 74 loaded the bases after that but could not plate any more runners as Cooper got a pop-fly to right to end the threat. In the third, Albemarle made it 2-0 on a double from Lee Carneal and RBI single from Ryan Morris. Conner Lilley made it 4-0 in the top of fifth on a 2-run single that scored Morris and Breeden.
But from there Post 2003 settled in. After threatening to score in the seventh, Fluvanna put together a game tying rally in the eighth starting with an RBI single from Austin Stone from Fork Union.
“At the beginning were kind of cold (at the plate),” Stone said. “When the weather cooled down a bit the hits started coming. In the eighth, everyone hit. I came up and coach told me to keep my hands up, hit and hustle through.”
Jamie Curtis followed up with an RBI single of his own to cut the deficit in half. After a sacrifice bunt and an error Curtis was able to make it home. Josh Seay then singled and saw Charlie Carter do the same. A walk and a wild pitch made it 4-4 with Seay scoring.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cooper got on base on an error and was sent to second on sacrifice bunt from Stone. A sacrifice from Curtis allowed Cooper to score and take the lead which stood up.
“Last night we got bit in the face, kicked in the mouth and just couldn’t get an out and Staunton just hit blasts on us,” Carter said. “When the words were said after the game, everyone was quiet, cleaned out the dugout, drove home and did what they were supposed to do. We had some bite tonight and wanted a taste of the other side.”
Fluvanna (7-6) and Albemarle (9-4) with play again on Tuesday at Western Albemarle at 7 p.m.
