Two three-run innings propel Aces to 21st win

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Alexandria Aces scored three runs in the sixth and eighth innings to surge past the Vienna River Dogs, 7-3, Monday night in Vienna. The win gave the Aces their 21st win of the season, ensuring a winning record for the second straight year. It also kept them in third place in the league standings with just four games left to play.

Tyler Tobin (George Mason) was effective again for Alexandria, allowing just one earned run in six innings, bringing his earned-run average to 1.40 for the season. He gave up an unearned run in the third, which gave Vienna a 1-0 lead. The Aces got that run back in the fifth after Ryan Lukach (Hartford) doubled and Thomas Bradey (University of Montevallo) singled him home. However, the River Dogs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

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Stretch run continues as Aces visit River Dogs

Game 36: Alexandria Aces (20-15) vs. Vienna River Dogs (15-17)
7:00 p.m., James Madison HS, Veinna, VA
Probable starters: Tyler Tobin (2-2, 1.37) vs. Jack Gomersall (0-0, 5.40)

As the Aces close in to the end of the regular season they travel to Vienna to face the River Dogs for the fourth and final match between the teams this year. It also closes out the games against the two other Virginia teams within the league. The Aces lost to Herndon Saturday night, 4-3, splitting the series with the Braves and dropping to 20-15 on the season.

Like the Aces, Vienna was off Sunday after beating the D.C. Grays, 9-5, Saturday. After a 13-10 start to the year, the River Dogs are just 2-7 in their last nine games to fall to 15-17, currently on the outside looking in for the postseason.

Tyler Tobin starts for the Aces. On the season he is 2-2 with a 1.37 earned-run average. Over his last two starts the right-hander out of George Mason University has not allowed an earned run over 15.2 innings. Despite that, he is only 1-1 in those game. Tobin has 32.2 innings pitched, allowing 21 hits, walking eight, and striking out 23 while surrendering just five earned runs.

Coverage

For live, in-game updates, be sure to follow the Aces on twitter @Alexandria_Aces. Check back here on Alexandriaaces.org for post-game coverage.

Last time out

The Aces lost to the Herndon Braves, 4-3, Saturday night at Pfitzner Stadium, home of the Potomac Nationals. Herndon barreled out of the gates in the bottom of the first against starter Sean Thompson. They loaded the bases with no outs. A 1-2-3 double play put Thompson on the brink of getting out of the jam, but Alan Mocahbee lined a three-run home run into left field for a 3-0 lead.

The Aces surged back with a three-run third. Ozzy Gonzalez and Ash Fulmer picked up RBIs as Alexandria tied the game at three. It stayed like that until the fifth. Herndon put together back-to-back two-out hits, including an RBI double to retake a 4-3 lead. The Aces threatened in several other innings, including the ninth when they got back-to-back singles, but they failed to score and lost 4-3.

Scouting the River Dogs

Before scoring nine runs Saturday against the Grays, the River Dogs offense had been in a slump, scoring just 19 runs over seven games, just 2.7 runs per game. That’s well below their season average of 4.8 runs per game. Their 159 runs are still fourth most in the Cal Ripken League, behind the Big Train, Redbirds, and Aces. Vienna’s .254 team batting average is third in the league, just .002 ahead of the Aces.

Jack Gomersall is expected to start for the River Dogs. It will be the first start for the right-hander out of Virginia Military Institute who has made 10 appearances out of the bullpen. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last three outings, but for the season Gomersall has a 5.40 earned-run average in 16.2 innings pitched. During that time he’s allowed 15 hits and 13 walks to go along with nine strikeouts. In one outing against the Aces July 1 he walked four in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Head-to-head

Monday is the final game this season between the Aces and River Dogs. Alexandria won, 6-4, June 25 in Vienna in what was a rain-shortened six inning game. The Aces struck for five runs in the top of the sixth before the rains came in the seventh inning, cutting the game short. Then in Alexandria the River Dogs scored nine runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Aces 10-5 July 1. The Aces won 5-2 July 11.

The Aces and River Dogs met four times in 2013, splitting the series two games apiece. The Aces won the first match in June, a 4-3 victory. Three games were rained out, forcing the final three games to be played over a two-day stretch. The Aces won the first of a double header, 10-9, before losing the second, 4-0. Vienna wrapped up the series with a 5-2 win in Alexandria.

Aces face two different teams in Friday doubleheader

Game 33: Alexandria Aces (19-13) vs. Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (11-20)
4:30 p.m., Frank Mann Field, Alexandria, VA
Probable starters: Tyler Zamjahn (1-2, 4.69) vs. Brandon Holsworth (3-2, 2.38)

Game 34: Alexandria Aces (19-13) vs. Rockville Express (18-13)
7:00 p.m., Frank Mann Field, Alexandria, VA
Probable starters: Andrew Witczak (2-1, 1.35) vs. Mike Bittel (2-1, 1.70)

The Aces play a pair of games Friday evening against two different teams. They play the final five innings of a suspended game against the Thunderbolts, with the game scoreless after two full innings. Tyler Zamjahn, who started that game July 8, will continue it from the start today.

In the regularly scheduled second game, which will be a full nine inning game, the Aces face the Rockville Express for the final time this season, with playoff positioning at stake. The Aces enter Friday with a half game lead over the Express, with both teams at 13 losses on the year.

Andrew Witczak will start the second game for the Aces. The lefty from Campbell is 2-1 with a 1.35 earned-run average over five appearances, of which the last two are starts. He’s won both of his starts, allowing just two earned runs in 14 total innings, while striking out nine and walking two.

Coverage

Today’s games can be heard live on the Aces Radio Network with play-by-play broadcaster Lukas Favale starting at 4:25.

For live, in-game updates, be sure to follow the Aces on twitter @Alexandria_Aces. Check back here on Alexandriaaces.org for post-game coverage.

Last time out

The Aces offense rolled the Dodgers 13-5 Thursday night behind a balanced assault that saw eight players with hits and seven with RBIs. The Aces took the lead in the bottom of the first, but the Dodgers answered right back to tie the game at one in the second. From there Alexandria scored 11 unanswered runs to go up 12-1. The Aces got two in the third, four in the fourth, and five in the fifth to take command, giving starter Korey Anderson plenty of run support.

Seven different players brought in runs for the Aces. Danny Bermudez led the way with three RBIs. Brad Elwood, Josh Swirchak, and Zack Kessinger each brought in two runs while Luke Gibbs, Jake Kuzbel, and Ash Fulmer had one RBI each. Anderson lasted six innings for the Aces, allowing just two runs. Clark Pence pitched two scoreless innings in relief before Ryan Lukach gave up three runs in the ninth.

Scouting the Express

At 18-13 the Express enter Friday a half game behind the Aces in the standings and 1.5 back of the Redbirds for second place.

As a team the Express have the third best batting average in the league at .256. However that has only translated to the fifth-most runs in the league with 143. Rockville has three different hitters with at least 100 at bats and all three are hitting above .300: Devon Mahoney (.322), Romeo Cortina (.315), and Brandon Benson (.308). That trio also leads the team in RBIs, combining for 53, led by Benson’s 20.

Mike Bittel starts for the Express. The 6-0, 170-lb righty from Seton Hill University is 2-1 with a 1.70 earned-run average. He’s made three starts in five appearance for Rockville, although he’s only pitched once since June 27, and that was out of the bullpen July 11. In 26.1 innings this year, Bittel has yielded just 15 hits, six walks, and struck out 30.

Head-to-head

Rockville leads the season series 2-1 over the Aces. They won the first two games on back-to-back days in June, using comebacks to win both. In the first game June 16 the Aces had a 3-0 lead but lost 6-3. The next night it was a 5-0 Aces lead that evaporated into an 8-7 loss. The Aces routed the Express 10-0 June 21 to get their only win of the series so far.

The Aces and Express met four times in the 2013 regular season, with all four played in two doubleheaders in July because of three postponements in June. The teams split the regular season series 2-2. In Alexandria, the Express won 4-2 before the Aces rebounded with a 7-2 triumph. Then in Rockville less than one week later, the Aces won the opener 2-1 before dropping the final game 4-3.

The teams met in the postseason as well, in what was the first game for the Aces but second for the Express because the Aces had a first round bye. Alexandria won the playoff matchup, 6-2, giving the Aces their first playoff win in team history.

Offense explodes in 13-5 win

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Eight different starters collected base hits and seven had RBIs for the Alexandria Aces as they pounded out 17 hits and a season-high 13 runs in a 13-5 win over the Baltimore Dodgers Thursday night at Frank Mann Field. It was the first game after the All-Star break and it moved the Aces to 19-13 on the season with just eight games left in 2014.

The Aces scored early and often against the Dodgers. In the first, Luke Gibbs (UNC Charlotte) led off with a walk. A sac bunt by Jake Kuzbel (Georgetown) moved him to second and a wild pitch brought him to third. Ash Fulmer (Houston) hit a sac fly for a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers would get that run back in the second against Aces starter Korey Anderson (Western Carolina), but then Alexandria scored 11 unanswered runs, starting in the third.

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