By Robert Sisk

Published: April 25, 2008

GREENVILLE — When Buffalo Gap and Riverheads meet, they always bring their best, with the hope of knocking off a fierce rival.
During Thursday’s Shenandoah District battle on the diamond, things were no different. The Bison won the bout 3-2, but were pressured all seven innings by the Gladiators.
“It’s a close game every time, so you just gut it out and get the win,” said Gap pitcher Josh Wenger.
Buffalo Gap scored early in the first after the Gladiators’ Cody Montgomery walked Travis Morris, who later scored on an outfield error. The Bison kept that narrow, one-run advantage into the fourth thanks to Wenger’s arm.
He pitched three perfect innings to start the game before a rocky fourth that led to one Gladiator run.
“I just went out and threw strikes,” Wenger said. “The wind was blowing kinda hard, so anything you hit up in the air you weren’t going catch it, so I just threw strikes.”
In the bottom of the fourth, the Gladiators finally got their offense going. Brent Wolcott got on first after he was hit on the shoulder by a Wenger pitch. Wolcott moved into scoring position on a passed ball with Cody Montgomery at the plate.
Montgomery ripped a single that brought Wolcott home to knot the score on a day when runs were hard to come by.
“I’m just pleased with how these kids don’t give up,” said Riverheads coach Rodney Painter. “They’ve done that all year. It’s been a disappointing season in wins and losses, but not in their effort.”
John Hawkins relieved Wenger in the fifth inning.
Montgomery, who the night before had to have several stitches in his left leg after he was spiked on second against Rockbridge, was on the mound for the Gladiators. Despite a shaky first inning, Montgomery held his own. In the fifth, the Bison loaded the bases with two outs, but Montgomery got Boone Jones to bat into a routine grounder at second.
The score remained tied until the final inning, when the Bison broke the stalemate. Montgomery walked Ryan Sheridan and Travis Morris moved him to second when he beat a bunt. Montgomery walked Wenger to load the bases.
With the bases loaded, Boone Jones hit an RBI single to bring Sheridan home and keep the bases loaded with Austin Bowers coming to the plate.
“[We] just quit hitting the ball in the air,” Coffey said. “We hit to many pop-ups today. If I never see one again it will be too soon. We told them to hit it on the ground and in the fifth we started to put it on the ground and that got us what we needed.”
Coffey sent all the runners in and Bowers made contact to allow Morris to score, but Wenger got caught between second and third. He was tagged out at third to end the inning.
The Gladiators tried to rally in the bottom of the inning. With one out on the board, Miles Wade hit a solo homer to left center for the Gladiators to pull within one. Nick Wolcott followed through next with a single and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position, but the next two batters flew out. 
Hawkins pitched three innings for the Bison and used his versatility to keep the Gladiators (4-9, 2-3 Shenandoah) from taking over the lead.
“He didn’t have to throw a lot of pitches tonight. Josh [Wenger] will pipe it and come at you; John [Hawkins] will try to keep you off balance,” Coffey said.
After losing a close game with a rival, Painter said he’s not worried about a backlash going into their next game on Tuesday against Page County.
“I don’t think it will hurt us,” Painter said. “It’s disappointing and the kids are hurt by it but it won’t carry to the next game.”
Hawkins took the win for the Bison (10-3, 3-1 Shenandoah) in his three innings of work with four strikeouts. Montgomery took the loss, pitching the complete game with two strikeouts. 
“Cody pitched great,” Painter said. “He’s been pitching great all season for us. Unfortunately we didn’t give him the run support.”