Rainouts led to a regular season doubleheader between Roanoke Post 3 and Vinton Post 80 Monday night at Salem’s Kiwanis Field as American Legion baseball heads into the stretch run.
Roanoke seemed little affected from the chore of a pair of seven inning contests, taking the opener 8-0 before completing the sweep with a 9-1 win in the nightcap. Post 3 improved to 10-2 on the season.
Roanoke was in control all the way in game one as Post 3 hurler Harrison Richards (Cave Spring/Roanoke College) went the distance for the win. Richards limited Vinton to two hits, walking none and fanning four. Tanner McCoy (North Cross) provided the big offensive punch for Roanoke with a fence-clearing 2-run homer and a double in a 3-for-4 night at the plate. Steve Klaiber (Cave Spring/UVa-Wise) had a pair of two-baggers for Post 3 in a game that saw every player in the Roanoke lineup get a hit. Post 3 wasted no time in supporting Harrison, plating four runs in the first and two more in the second.
Vinton’s hits came from Christian Sowers (Salem) and Paul Williams (Staunton River).
The second game saw much of the same as Jake Schuyler (Cave Spring) coasted on the mound for the 7-hit, complete game win. Schuyler struck out five and gave up one walk.
Post 3 jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings before adding three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Roanoke had 11 hits in the contest and drew 7 walks from four Vinton pitchers.
McCoy was just as effective in game two, collecting three hits, while teammates Griffin Stanley (Cave Spring), Chad Frazier (Hidden Valley) and Matt Doughty (North Cross) each picked up a pair of hits. Doughty’s included a double and triple.
Steve Klaiber had a pair of RBIs for Roanoke, the only player in the balanced Post 3 order with more than one.
Vinton’s only extra-base hit came on a double by Mitchell Hullett (Staunton River). Konnor Hamilton (William Byrd) had a pair of singles for Post 80.
Legion regular season play wraps up this week with the district tournament opening July 19th.
By Bill Turner