CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – A dramatic weekend of baseball at CHO Airport Park has positioned the Charlottesville Tom Sox strongly for the playoffs as the 2024 Valley League Season enters its final week.

The weekend began with a Friday doubleheader, starting with the resumption of a paused game against the Covington Lumberjacks from July 9. Big hits from UVA commit James Nunnalee and East Carolina slugger Colby Wallace sparked the offense in the bottom of the 6th, leading to a 4-1 advantage for the Sox. Charlottesville then surged with four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth, sealing an 11-1 victory.

Game two presented a tougher challenge. Jack McMullin’s two-run hit in the bottom of the 2nd inning gave Charlottesville an early lead, but Covington’s Thomas Marsala responded with a solo homerun. Strong pitching dominated the remainder of the game, and a crucial catch by Nunnalee secured a 2-1 win for the Sox, clinching the top seed in the Southern Division.

Saturday’s game against the Culpepper Cavaliers offered fans an exciting contest despite earlier rain. The Cavaliers jumped to an early 3-0 lead and extended it to 10-0 by the third inning due to defensive errors by the Sox. Charlottesville fought back with runs in the bottom of the 3rd and a rally in the 5th, highlighted by Cooper Blauser’s grand slam. However, the Cavaliers maintained their lead, ending the game 15-11.

The Sox faced the Lumberjacks again on Sunday, with Covington emerging victorious 6-2. Charlottesville will host the Harrisonburg Turks tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Charlottesville High School for the final game of the regular season before the playoffs begin on Friday, July 26.