Still hoping 🙏 to hear from a couple of more people yet, but here’s the latest…
Thanks to Cooter’s in Luray, I now have my Photo 📷 cover for the Feature story on Reitzel and Richardson !
Month: June 2025
Jay Neal and the Strasburg Express just finished two productive days in the Valley Baseball ⚾️ League !
Strasburg versus Woodstock is one of those small time rivalries that it just doesn’t matter what the sport is when they get together. The two towns are separated by Toms Brook in Northern Shenandoah County and they would pack the house if they were playing Checkers against one another.
Strasburg has opened the season with three consecutive home games and won the last two, over Purcellville and Woodstock. Taking the first battle with the River Bandits has to feel like 1.5 victories !
Sunday June 22nd is our Sponsor Night at the Ballpark located off Exit 298 on I-81. The visitors that night 🌙 will be the Harrisonburg Turks! Admission is Free that night so if you’re in the area, stop ✋ by and hear Jay Neal announce a ball game !
Getting ready for a good ole fashioned Showdown at Alan F Knight Field tonight and there’s a Trophy 🏆on the line…1st Pitch set for 6pm
Central – Woodstock is a perfect 12-0 in road games after upsetting Fort Defiance Wednesday night at Page County is 10-2 at home.
Both teams know that they will be playing Softball next week in the Class 2 State Tournament so there’s no added pressure there other than the winner gets to host their next game while the team that falls short will travel halfway across the Commonwealth.
The Elite Eight is now set and today and tomorrow we find out which teams get to avoid a long Bus 🚌 ride next week.
Central – Page County III has the makings of a instant classic…
Long before Cavalier Park, even before Orcas Island 🏝, their was a little place called Shenandoah, Virginia and we spent a decade there. While it was great to be back for a visit with four of our nine grandchildren, I sure did miss Kevin Burress!
When we left the PT appointment on The Hill Wednesday morning, for the first time in a crazy, crazy Spring of trying to help 12 Carroll County High School sports teams, it felt like we had a big enough window to get Lin some quality time with our Grandchildren in Page County.
It happened to be that our long time friend, Alan Knight was hosting a Regional tournament semifinal game in a place where I called games for roughly a decade. It didn’t take any arm twisting when Lori Mongold asked me if I would be up to announcing the game for the Lady Panthers.
It was a fun, fun night and the Lady Panthers won 2-1 to advance to the State Tournament next week. But at the end of the night 🌙 one thing was very obvious to me – I truly missed having Kevin Burress in the chair 💺 next to me.
Every sport is so very different in the approach to holding a 🎤🎙🎤 and Softball is one that is best done with a wing man 👨. I have been blessed with sharing the Press Box with Burress the past couple of years and I didn’t realize just how much until last night. I have to add that Tammy Tobler and when she’s in town, Macie Adkins add something special to the mix.
Friday morning 🌄 will be spent down (from here) at Liberty University alongside Corrie Delp and Brenden Fariss. In between now and then, Page County will host a Regional Championship game at Alan F Knight Field at 6pm.
Not sure if the stars will line up for that one or not, but if it does, I will be there without Mr Burress and that makes it a bit different.
Next stop ✋, Track 👣 and Field….
Page County High School Softball 🏫 program is once again heading to the Class 2 State Tournament after edging Strasburg 2-1 Wednesday night. The Lady Panthers will host Central – Woodstock Thursday for Region crown 👑.
Shenandoah – Ava Marshall crushed a Home Run and Kahlei Shifflett scored on a RBI double from Madison Phares to lead Page County High School to a 2-1 victory over visiting Strasburg Wednesday night. Freshman pitcher Summer Pence took care of the rest with a 13 strikeout, one hitter and now PCHS (20-3) is headed once again to the State Tournament.
Central – Woodstock edged Fort Defiance 5-2 in the other semifinal game and now the #3 seed Falcons will challenge the #1 seeded Lady Panthers for the Regional Championship Thursday night.
Strasburg’s Ava Mayhew limited Page County to just seven hits and recorded nine strikeouts across her six innings of work. The junior would have celebrated a victory more often than not with those stats but the night belonged to Page County.
Both teams committed just one error behind their pitchers and Page County closed out the contest with two stellar defensive plays. Mayhew led off the seventh inning with a line shot that handcuffed Caelyn Lucas but the freshman stayed with the play, nipping Mayhew at first base. One out later, Kaitlyn Cunningham sent a line shot to centerfield that hung up long enough for Marshall to squeeze in her glove for the final out.
Shifflett led the offense by going 3 for 3 and the Junior plated what would prove to be the winning run 🏃♂️ in the top of the third inning, thanks to Phares.
The second straight pitchers duel in Region play once again showcased the strong suit of the Lady Panthers Softball. Strong pitching, solid defense and timely hitting is the staple of the veteran Skipper and his team over the decades. PCHS edged Stuarts Draft 3-1 in the opening round and will now face another familiar face when Central – Woodstock comes to town.
Central (20-2) and Page County split their games in the regular season with each team winning on the others home field. Back on April 2nd, Central handed Page a 6-4 loss that dropped the Lady Panthers to a mark of 3-3. On April 29th Page County edged the Falcons 2-1, a victory that is part of the teams 17 game winning streak.
The best part of this trilogy is that both teams will advance to the Class 2 State Tournament after the trophy 🏆 presentation Thursday night 🌙.
First Pitch is set for 6pm.
Strasburg 000 010 0 – 1 1 1
Page County 002 000 X – 2 7 1
Through the eyes of a Greater Fool 