PURCELLVILLE – The North broke the game open early and rolled to a 20-2 victory Sunday evening over the South in the Valley Baseball League All-Star Game at Fireman’s Field.
Staunton’s Nate Ward and Culpeper’s Broc Eddy hung zeroes on the board in the first two innings for the South but then the North offense took over.
Strasburg’s Kyle Edwards led off the third inning with a solo homer for a 1-0 lead. Consecutive singles by Gaetan Grandelli (New Market) and Broedy Poppell (Front Royal) and a run-scoring single by Strasburg’s Connor Chisholm made it 2-0. Poppell scored on a wild pitch before a double by Winchester’s Jaylen Hernandez made the score 4-0. Two more runs scored on an error to push the margin to 6-0 and Edwards plated a run with a sac fly to cap the seven-run inning.
The North scored six more runs in the fourth inning. Hernandez cleared the bases with a three-run double and a run-scoring single by Diego Villescas put the margin at 11-0. Edwards then belted his second homer, this one a two-run blast for a 13-0 lead.
Chisholm hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and RBIs by Bear Madliak (Purcellville) and Zach Walsh (New Market) in the sixth made the score 17-0. A three-run double in the eighth by Winchester’s Shanley Wall capped the North’s scoring.
The South avoided the shutout in the ninth. Johnnie Lopez (Charlottesville) led off with a walk and Staunton’s Jacob Lester followed with a double. Noah Canterbury (Staunton) singled for the South’s first run and Jacob Payne added a run-scoring single for the final margin.
Edwards was named the game’s MVP after going 2-for-3 with a pair of homers and four RBIs. Poppell finished the night 3-for-4 for the North while Hernandez was 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs. Chisholm was 2-for-3 with two runs driven home while Walsh also finished 2-for-3 at the plate.