STRASBURG – Purcellville scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning Saturday to take an 8-2 lead and the Cannons went on to defeat Strasburg 10-4 and sweep the North Division in two straight games.
The Express scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning, the first run on a double by Brooks Henderson (Lackawanna).
Purcellville scored a run in the third and then took command with the seven-run outburst in the fourth inning.
The first run in the fourth scored on a Strasburg error and a groundout by David Sorg (Arkansas-Little Rock) gave the Cannons a 3-2 lead. Christopher Marte followed with a two-run homer, making the score 5-2. Walks to Kaleb Freeman (Georgia State) and Shintaro Inoue (Kansas State) put two runners on base. After a double steal, Jake Slade (Virginia Tech) singled home both runners for a 7-2 Cannons lead. Slade scored on a double by Kyle Johnson (Duke), making the score 8-2.
Johnson was 3-for-4, scored a run and drove in a run for the Cannons. Inoue was 2-for-4 with a run scored and one run batted in. Slade finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs and Marte went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Blake MacMillan (Niagara) was the winning pitcher, working five innings and allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out six and walked five.
Henderson, Matthew Phillips (Towson) and Carson Applegate St. Joseph’s) each drove in a run for the Express.