Post 330 can’t catch Warrenton

By Jason simcoe

Published: July 6, 2008

The Warrenton American Legion Post 72 baseball team used one big inning to jump out front of Culpeper Post 330 Sunday. By the time the Culpeper players mounted a scoring outburst of their own, they had too much ground to make up.

Warrenton (10-3) scored seven times in the third inning Sunday and then held off a hard-charging Culpeper squad to win 12-10 at Legion Field in Culpeper.

Culpeper pitcher Matt Ward, who hadn’t made a start since the season opener June 7 because of a sore arm, was sharp in his first two innings, giving up a run on two hits. But then in the third, Warrenton took over.

In that inning, Post 72 sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven times, highlighted by a three-run home run to left field by Andrew Byrd.

Meanwhile, Warrenton pitcher Robbie Spinks seemed to have Culpeper’s number early in the game. He pitched six innings, allowing no runs on four hits. He struck out three.

Trailing 11-0, Post 330 finally got rolling in the bottom of the seventh. Culpeper’s first eight batters reached base safely, and the team scored seven times.

“Once we started hitting the ball a little bit and giving our pitchers a little bit of support,” Post 330 manager Jeff Crane said. “It was a different ball club. They came alive.”

Post 330 (4-7) loaded the bases on a Brian Thompson single, Garrett Cole walk and Brandon Scott single. Catcher Nolan Jenkins then hit a line drive into the left field corner, scoring two.

Josh Gardiner then drew a walk to reload the bases. Brandon Mack brought another run home when he was hit by a pitch. Joey Powell slapped a groundball to the third baseman, who tried to get the force out at second, but the throw was too late and everybody was safe, including Jenkins who scored from third. Geoff Ward then reached on an error by the Warrenton third baseman before Thompson picked up two RBI and his third hit of the game, singling to right field.

“We just started trying to come back harder,” Thompson said. “People were hitting the ball. We need to come out (at the beginning) hitting like that.”

Warrenton added an insurance run when Zack Dingus hit a solo home run in the eighth.

Culpeper tried to close the gap in its final at-bat. Nic Donovan led off the inning with a double, stole third, and scored when the catcher threw the ball away on the throw down. Cole drew a one-out walk and scored when Scott launched a double to the wall in centerfield. He scored on a Gardiner single, but Post 330 couldn’t come any closer.

“We need to make the simple plays and put the bat on the ball,” Jenkins said. “We need to stop waiting for something to happen and make it happen.”

Thompson led Culpeper with three hits. Jenkins, Ethan Russell, and Scott each had a pair of hits.

Post 330 is back in action Thursday at Liberty. That game starts at 7 p.m.

Jason Simcoe can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or