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VIENNA, Va. June 20—Power hitting was the story in Wednesday night's match-up between the first-place Fairfax Nationals and the second-place Vienna Senators at Waters Field. Home runs by third baseman Nick Wheeler and right fielder Drew Allain helped seal a 6-3 victory for the Senators.
The game was important, as the Nationals (15-4) were one and a half games up on the Senators (13-3) before the start of the contest. Now only half a game separates them in the standings. The two teams will likely tango atop the Clark Griffith League standings the rest of the season.
The Senators had Tulane-product Aaron Loup on the mound for the game, and he threw four-hit ball for eight innings. Loup also struck out 10 batters as he picked up his third win of the season, while southpaw Russ Lowell from Long Beach State picked up his second loss for the Nationals.
The Senators brought home the first run of the game. In the first inning, with Ryan Eden on second and two out, first baseman Ryan Heroy struck out swinging, but reached first safely when the ball passed the Nationals catcher and rolled to the backstop. Then, second baseman Brandon Cassamasina of Marshall was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lowell then hit Allain with a pitch, and Eden scored safely.
The score stayed 1-0 until the top of the fourth, when first baseman Alex Gregory hit a two-run home run just over the right field wall. The home run was Gregory's eighth of the season.
But the Senators answered that home run with one of their own. Wheeler, a rising junior from Itawamba Community College, stepped up to bat with two out and Eden on base, and launched a two-run bomb of his own over the wall of the deepest part of center field. Wheeler's fourth homer of the season put the Senators back up, 3-2.
Bryce Mendonca scored another run for the Senators in the fifth inning as Vienna catcher Steve Moritz reached safely on an error. In the bottom of the seventh, Allain hit a solo shot to right field to put the Senators up 5-2. In the following inning, Eden scored while pinch hitter Sam Honeck grounded out.
The two teams entered the top of the ninth with Vienna resting on a four-run cushion. The Nationals tried to make a come back. Mason Griffin, the 2006 Clark Griffith League Most Outstanding Pitcher, came on to pitch after Loup faced the first batter of the inning. Griffin did not give up a hit in his relief performance. Griffin struck out Curtis Eward with Cory Lyda resting on second base. Gregory then reached first on an error, and Lyda came across the plate to score the final run for the Nationals. Griffin got the final two batters to ground out to end the game.
The Senators look to push their winning streak to eight games Thursday, as they take on the McLean Raiders at 7 p.m. at Mt. Vernon High School.
###
For further information, please go to www.viennasenators.com or contact the public relations intern, Kristin Pratt, at pratt.kristin@gmail.com or at (703) 401-6146.