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.