DOREY
PARK – The Henrico bats were as hot as the unusually warm spring day
Tuesday on which the “Warriors” opened Capital District play with a
13-1 victory over Highland Springs. Henrico hitters banged out 12 hits
to give Junior pitcher Seth Cutler-Voltz more than enough run
support to easily pick up the win.

“We have gotten numerous great pitching performances by Seth but
failed to give him sufficient run support,” said head coach Ken
Schrad.  “For a couple of innings, it looked like we were headed down
the same path,” he added.  “But this team is gaining a lot of
confidence at the plate and it showed in those middle innings.”

“Springers” starting pitcher Brett Zimmer was using his lively fast
ball and ‘fall off the table’ curveball to keep Henrico (5-2; 1-0) in
check the first two innings. Things changed quickly in the third.

Patrick Hughes started off the inning with a single. Adam Toombs
laid down a quality bunt and beat out the throw to first base.  Tyler
Moses gave himself up with a sacrifice bunt to move Hughes and Toombs
up another 90-feet.  Cutler-Voltz smacked an RBI double to score both. 
Consecutive singles by JC Poma, Michael Mansfield and Taylor Smith
resulted in two more scores and a 4-0 Henrico lead.

Highland Springs (2-2; 0-1) got one run back in its bottom half of
the fourth. Devin Walden slapped a single up the middle and took second
on a bobbled ball by the center fielder.  Deane Walden then took the
same path with a hit up the middle for an RBI single.

Other than that one inning, Cutler-Voltz was dominating the Springers line-up finishing the night with 11 Ks and no walks.

Henrico picked up an insurance run in the fifth and two more in the
sixth.  In the seventh, Zimmer was replaced by Trey Brooks and then
Matt Hurdle.  But, a combination of walks and base hits led to six more
runs.  Toombs had an RBI single, Cutler-Voltz a two RBI double, and
Mansfield a two-RBI single during the inning.

Alvin Hence pitched the bottom of the seventh.  He coaxed two come
back grounders on each side of a strike out to retire the side in order.

“Getting that first district win is big.  Otherwise, you feel like
your behind the eight ball the rest of the way,” said Schrad.  “With
Hanover coming to play us on Friday, we’ve got to have all the
confidence we can muster so that we can take on the defending district
champs with a relaxed attitude that allows you to make plays, not worry
about making them.”

The Henrico JV also picked up its first district win with a 15-1 victory of the “Springers” JV.

    Richmond’s
Clark Springs Elementary – Eleven Henrico hits of which five were
doubles helped the “Warriors” to a 14-3 victory over
Maggie Walker/Governor’s School Monday afternoon.  Freshman Landon
Prentiss tagged two doubles and was credited with four RBIs to help his
own cause in his debut as a starting pitcher.

Also picking up two-base safeties were Taylor Smith who was two for
two with two RBIs and two stolen bases.  Seth Cutler-Voltz who was two
for three with three RBIs and a stolen base.  And, JC Poma who also
earned an RBI.

“We told Landon on Thursday he would get Monday’s start hoping the
advance notice would give him time to prepare,” said head coach Ken
Schrad.  “Clearly, the adrenaline was flowing through his bat.  And, it
also affected his control in the first inning.”

Prentiss gave up just one hit in the first.  He then faced the
minimum number of batters in the second and third innings, striking out
the side to end the third.

Meanwhile, Maggie Walker pitcher Greg Dowd was also effective for
two innings giving up just one run.  In the top of the third, the
effectiveness subsided.

Adam Toombs led off with a single.  Cutler-Voltz walked and Michael
Mansfield slapped an RBI single.  Smith walked.  Eric Thornton singled
to score Cutler-Voltz.  Prentiss then crushed a line drive to the fence
in right center field to clear the bases giving Henrico a  6-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Toombs reached on an error and stole
second base.  Cutler-Voltz singled him home.  Smith then hit a two-out
single to score Cutler-Voltz and Henrico was up 8-0.

Henrico’s Brandon Gunnell was called on to pitch the bottom of the
fourth.  He gave up a walk and a single in between outs.  Then, the
“Dragons” Joah Daugherty crushed a line drive over the fence in right
field for a three-run home run to give Maggie Walker (2-1) renewed hope.

The “dinger” rattled Gunnell who hit the next batter and then gave
up a walk.  When he threw a first pitch ball to the next batter, coach
Schrad called on Alvin Hence to finish the inning.  He inherited the
1-0 count and promptly struck out the batter.

Henrico (4-2) got the three runs back in the fifth in addition to
three more. Following two walks, Cutler-Voltz hit a two-RBI double. 
Poma’s double scored Cutler-Voltz.  Mansfield followed with an RBI
single and Smith followed with an RBI double.  Two more walks loaded
the bases to bring up pinch-hitter Dustin Horan.  He coaxed a walk and
earned an RBI.

“This should provide a confidence boost heading into district play,”
said coach Schrad.  “Our bats are producing, our gloves are making
plays, and our pitching is showing promise,” he added. 

Capital District play begins Tuesday on the road against Highland
Springs at Dorey Park.  Henrico then hosts defending district champion
Hanover on Friday.

    COLLEY
FIELD – Henrico put up four runs in the bottom half of the first inning
to take early command and then held on to pick up a 7-5 non-district
win over Tucker Thursday night.  The “Tigers” (0-3) put pressure on the
“Warriors” (3-2) in the sixth inning.  But the rally was snuffed out by
reliever Michael Mansfield who overcame two lost in the lights outfield
hits.

“The game was eerily similar to last year,” said head coach Ken
Schrad.  “We jumped out to a big lead only to let it
slowly dwindle.  Unlike last year, we were able to withstand the
pressure and showed enough maturity and savvy to overcome a little
adversity.”

Eric Thornton started on the mound for Henrico and cruised through two innings.  

In the bottom of the first, lead off hitter Seth Cutler-Voltz
reached on an error, J C Poma was hit by a pitch, and both advanced on
a passed ball.  Cutler-Voltz scored on Mansfield’s sacrifice fly to
right field.  Thornton got an infield hit.  Landon Prentiss then
slapped an RBI single to center scoring Poma.  Patrick Hughes then hit
a two RBI double to right center scoring Thornton and Prentiss.

In the third inning, Thornton walked two and gave up two hits to cut
the lead in half.  Henrico answered in the bottom of the inning getting
two walks.  Taylor Smith then scored on Hughes’ sacrifice fly.

Mansfield took over the pitching duties in the fourth and got Tucker
to ground into a rally ******* double play.  Consecutive hits by
Cutler-Voltz and Poma in the bottom of the fourth resulted in two more
scores and a 7-2 lead.

The fifth inning was scoreless and the top of the sixth started
promising when shortstop Landon Prentiss made another of several fine
plays to record the first out.  Then two consecutive pops to left field
were lost in the lights by Cutler-Voltz and Tucker had something
going.  Three runs scored before the inning ended when Taylor Smith
snagged a sharp grounder to third and made the accurate throw across
the diamond for the third out.

Tucker went quietly in the seventh with a ground out to short, a strike out, and a lazy fly ball to centerfield.

“It was important for our kids to shake off the stigma that haunts
this team despite the fact that they are pretty good players,” said
Schrad.  “They need to realize they can win the close game if they stay
calm, relax, and play to their ability.”

Another three game week awaits the “Warriors,” with two of those
games on the road.  At Maggie Walker on Monday, at Highland Springs on
Tuesday, and then home against Hanover on Friday.

The Henrico JV traveled to Tucker and had trouble getting on track
after bus transportation problems caused a delayed start.  The final
was an 11-6 loss.