Bats carry Albemarle Post 74 to lopsided win

GLEN ALLEN - After an early rain delay, 31 hits and 32 runs, when Albemarle Post 74 walked off the field with a 21-11, eight-inning win over Arlington Post 139 via slaughter rule, there was a collective sigh of relieve from both sides of the stands.  Enough was enough.

For the third straight game, Albemarle scored at least 15 runs, and on Wednesday night, it was all about the long ball.

“We swing the bats well and it’s a trickling effect,” said Albemarle coach Mike Maynard.  “One through nine, any of these kids can hit the ball out.”

Ty Molinaro and Kevin White hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first to kick off the batters’ duel, and in the very next inning, Josh Sites hit a 2-run blast, only to have Rashad Talley go deep as well in the very next at bat.

“Tonight, I was just looking for a pitch to hit,” Talley said.  “I was in a slump.”

Arlington went punch for punch with Albemarle in the first two innings, but in the top of the fourth inning, White and Talley kicked the doors in by each hitting gland slams to highlight a 9-run scoring spree. 

“[They] were just hanging fastballs belt high, and I was able to drive it tonight,” Talley said.

Of course, Talley was in the lineup because Maynard had a feeling that the reliever/center fielder was due.

“I’m real proud of Rashad,” Maynard said. “I love him to death.  We’ve been pitching him a lot lately, but I just had a hunch tonight.  Jack Nobles played great for us last night, but I had a hunch that Rashad was ready and it worked it really well.  I think he hit every thing he saw.“

Albemarle entered the bottom of the fifth up 11 runs and poised to earn a slaughter ruling in by the bottom of the seventh.

But Arlington would not go so quietly into the night, cutting the deficit to nine runs in the bottom of the fifth with a 4-run rally, three of which came off a Tom Edwards homer.

It took Albemarle three more innings to muster up the three runs needed to force a concession.  Two of those runs came in the seventh off of a Talley sacrifice fly and a wild pitch, and Molinaro provided the final run on a throwing error after he reached base on a double.

In the bottom of the eighth, reliever Charlie Murray was able to pitch his third straight inning of scoreless baseball to end a long night.

Talley finished the game with 3 for 5 with six RBI and three runs scored.  White finished 2 for 6 with five RBI and has four home runs in the last two games.  Vince Coles had another strong showing at the plate with his 4 for 6 performance.

Albemarle’s reward for the oustanding offensive effort?  A meeting with defending state champion South Richmond Post 137.

“We’re going to be playing a team that was ranked No. 3 in the nation,” Maynard said.  “We’re facing probably one of the best pitchers in the state [in Blake Hauser] and from what I’ve heard, he’s just about unhittable.  We’ve got out work cut out for us.“

Scouting Albemarle tonight in the stands was South Richmond coach and former major leaguer Byron Ballard, and his response when a fan asked about Albemarle was pretty straight forward.

“It sure looks like they can hit,” Ballard said.

Albemarle and South Richmond take the field at RF&P Park tonight at 5 p.m.