Roanoke Post 3 broke open a tight game with six runs in the bottom of the fifth, and Roanoke rolled to the 13-3 win over Christiansburg Post 59 in their American Legion home opener Monday evening at Kiwanis Field.
Nursing a 3-2 lead, Roanoke opened their half of the fifth with singles by Alex Snyder (Lord Botetourt), Tanner Smith (North Cross), Tommy Schmidt (Hidden Valley) and a misplayed sacrifice bunt. John Edwards (Cave Spring) followed with a single for the third run of the inning for Post 3. The wheels then came off for Post 59 after a pitching change was followed by a passed ball, base on balls and three consecutive hit batsmen that plated three more Roanoke runs for a 9-3 lead.
Post 59 struggled on the mound all evening, hitting seven Roanoke batters with a pitching staff that was missing three hurlers for the game.,
The 6-run fifth put Post 3 starter Tyler Brogan (Hidden Valley) on the fast track to pick up the win, despite Roanoke head coach Scott Smith having already decided that he was going to the bullpen to begin the Christiansburg sixth.
Post 3 reliever Thomas Bolinger came to the hill in what appeared to initially be a non-save situation, especially when Roanoke added three runs on a bases clearly double by Garrett Dorton (James River) in the sixth to go up 12-2. But, Christiansburg scored a run in the top of the seventh to avoid the 10-run rule that would have ended the game. That allowed Bolinger to go the requisite 3-innings and finishing as the closer, after Roanoke scored in the bottom of the eighth to end the game at 13-3.
Roanoke, which had dropped their season opener on the road to Rocky Mount last week, wasted no time jumping to the lead Monday.
Josh Greenway (North Cross), hitting in the second spot, homered in the first to put Post 3 up 1-0. Two Christiansburg errors gave Roanoke two more runs for a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Christiansburg scored two runs in the fourth on two hits and two walks, but the Post 59 rally fell short after a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat. The Post 3 infield executed three double plays in the game.
Dorton led Post 3 with 4 hits and 4 RBIs, while Greenway and Smith each added three hits among the 16-hit Roanoke attack.
Bill Turner
