Bison knock off Luray

SWOOPE — All season long, the Luray bats have been booming.
Thursday night, Buffalo Gap cut their volume down a bit, as the Bison defeated the previously undefeated Bulldogs 7-3 to pull within a game of the top spot in the Shenandoah District.
Bison starter Jon Hawkins and relief pitcher Josh McDevitt prevented Luray from putting together any big innings, while Travis Morris and the rest of the Bison hitters made enough noise to put together a four-run second inning which was enough to hold off the Bulldogs.
“We played a crisp ball game and made the routine plays we needed to,” said Bison coach Chad Coffey.
With the win, Buffalo Gap improved to 11-3 overall and 4-1 in the district standings.
Luray lost its first game in 17 starts, and fell to 6-1 in the league.
Morris hit a double to lead off Gap’s first inning, but was left stranded at third.
But in the second, the Bison grabbed the lead, courtesy of a pair of Bulldog errors, a single by J.R. Hart, and Morris’ blast to deep center field off of Bulldog ace Richard Galindez.
Morris’ homer gave the host a 4-0 lead. It was the third homer of the season for Morris.
“It was a belt-high fastball,” Morris said.
Josh Wenger followed suit in the third inning, leading off with a solo home run to put the Bison ahead 5-0.
Luray got on the board in the top of the fourth on a solo homer from Chris Bell, a single by Ryan Carroll and an RBI-ground out by T.J. Noser.
The Bison answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Boone Jones beat out an infield single and moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from Hawkins. Morris walked and Travis Ashby doubled home Jones. After Luray elected to intentionally walk Wenger, Ryan Sheridan picked up an RBI on a bases loaded walk.
Luray scored its final run in the top of the fifth when Johnny Van Wyck doubled, stole third and scored on a grounder by Jeremy Leake.
McDevitt relieved Hawkins and got out of the inning with no further damage.
Jones made back-to-back sensational fielding plays at first to help preserve the victory.
Hawkins struck out five in four-plus innings, while McDevitt fanned three batters in two-plus innings of relief.
The Bison are back in action tonight, hosting Page County.