By Madison Hricik

We’ve reached the halfway marker everyone! Now that June has come and gone, July is the time for every team to clinch their spot in the 2021 VBL playoffs. Things have already grown tight, so let’s find out how each team did this week.

Top Dogs

1: Charlottesville TomSox (19-7): The TomSox are getting hot, flying through this week with a four-game winning streak — securing first for Week 4. It’s a pretty tight race for No. 1 and No. 2, but Charlottesville’s dominant offense throughout the week put them over the top.

2: Woodstock River Bandits (19-7): Essentially tied with Charlottesville, the River Bandits are staying right at the top for another week. Woodstock had two pitchers that made the top 10 this week, Jake Combs and Anthony Arguelles, who earned a combined 15 strikeouts in their games.

3: Strasburg Express (18-7): The Express are on a mission, winning their last five in a row. Hitter of the Week Tripp McKinlay became a VBL star this week with six runs scored, three home runs, 11 RBIs and two stolen bases.

4: Waynesboro Generals (14-13): Cracking the top four for the first time this season, the Generals are becoming a top playoff contender.

The Middle Pack

5: New Market Rebels (13-14): Paul Winland Jr stepped up to the plate for the Rebels this week, scoring two runs and a home run against the Generals on Saturday. The team has demonstrated its offensive ability before, and with different players stepping up when needed during games, it’s making an impact to help keep this team in the running.

6: Winchester Royals (11-12): The Royals are continually remaining consistent throughout the recent weeks, staying right around the .500 win percentage. After a 7-0 commanding win over the Turks, the team on pace for a new winning streak.

7: Harrisonburg Turks (11-12): Similarly to the Royals, the Turks are right in the middle of the league. Harrisonburg looks to break through the .500 win percentage this week, beginning with a matchup against Charlottesville.

8: Staunton Braves (11-16): Although it wasn’t the best week for the Braves, there’s still so much potential for the team to explore. Tanner Moyers held a 0.00 ERA this week through seven innings pitched with two strikeouts, showing what that potential could be.

9: Front Royal Cardinals (9-15): The Cardinals have two players batting at .500 for the week — Gabe Sherman and Samuel Tackett. After defeating the River Bandits before the weekend, the team has the chance to bring up their rating before the playoffs.

Teams with work to do

10: Purcellville Cannons (8-18): Pitcher of the Week Joe Vogatsky pitched 12 innings in two games, and struck out 18 batters for a 0.75 ERA this week.

11: Covington Lumberjacks (6-18): Paxton Tomanini is one to watch with four runs and three RBIs this week, becoming a bigger asset for the team!