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The Gremlins’ pitching dominates the first day of the fast-pitch Virginia Classic
Daily Press
12:01 AM EDT, May 3, 2009
Merchants lose two
The Peninsula Merchants lost their first two games at their season-opening tournament, the Virginia Classic men’s fast-pitch softball event at Francis Asbury Park in Hampton.
The Merchants dropped a 7-6 decision to Cornerstone Excavating (Pa.), though Peninsula pitcher Joe Hineline struck out eight and allowed just one earned run. The Merchants’ Justin Stock had two runs and two RBI, and teammate Dave Caitlyn was 1-for-3 with two runs.
Cornerstone’s Merlin High pitched 3 2/3 innings for the save, striking out six and yielding two hits. Travis Musser was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, and Justin Zimmerman was 2-for-3 with a run.
The Merchants then lost 7-0 to the New York Gremlins as Brian Newton pitched a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts, walking one. Jeremy Tracy was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs and two RBI, and Reggie Barrou was 3-for-4 with two runs.
Amazingly, the Gremlins also pitched a perfect game, beating Cornerstone 10-0. Tracy pitched five innings without allowing a baserunner and struck out 10. Derek Puckash was 2-for-2 with two runs, and teammate Jay Herr was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
In the Merchants’ third game of the day, they were trailing 4-2, with Cornerstone coming up in the bottom of the sixth, when rain forced play to be suspended for the night. That game was scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Sunday, followed by a Gremlins-Merchants game at 9:30 and a game to be announced at 11:30 a.m.
Saturday’s results
NEW YORK GREMLINS 10, CORNERSTONE EXCAVATING 0, 5 INNINGS
Standouts — Gremlins, Tracy (pitched perfect game, 10 strikeouts), Puckash 2-2 (2 runs), Herr 2-3 (2 runs, RBI).
CORNERSTONE 7, PENINSULA MERCHANTS 6
Standouts — Cornerstone, High (pitched 3 2/3 innings, 6 strikeouts, save), Musser 2-4 (2 runs, 2 RBI), Zimmerman 2-3 (run); Merchants, Hineline (8 strikeouts, yielded 1 earned run), Caitlyn 1-3 (2 runs), Stocks 1-3 (2 runs, 2 RBI).
GREMLINS 7, MERCHANTS 0
Standouts — Gremlins, Newton (pitched no-hitter, 16 strikeouts, walked 1), Barrou 3-4 (2 runs), Tracy 2-2 (2 walks, 2 runs, 2 RBI).–After 5 1/2 innings, Cornerstone was coming to bat with a 4-2 lead against the Merchants when rain forced a suspension of play.