HERNDON, VA-- The Vienna Senators once again showed they are a resilient team in a 3-1 come from behind victory over the Herndon Braves on Thursday night at Herndon High School.  The win is the sixth straight for the first place Senators, who have used every facet of the game to compile those six wins. Although the Senators have showed flashes of explosive offense at times during the season, tonight it was the right arm of Hunter Hall that kept them in the game. 

            The Senators only managed three hits on the evening, but Hunter Hall confused the Brave hitters for nine innings in earning the complete game win.  Hall showed his mettle by getting himself out of jams all evening

            The Braves scored the first run of the game on a Kellen Kulbacki double that drove in Nate Parks, who had reached base on an error by the Senator second baseman.  With no outs and a man on second, Hall composed himself and got the next three batters to ground out to end the threat. 

            The Braves mounted another rally in the sixth inning.  Hall began the inning by hitting Kulbacki with a pitch and Ricky LaFrance followed by reaching base on an error by the Senator shortstop.  With men on first and second and no outs, Joe Palumbo placed a perfect bunt down the third base line for a single to load the bases.  With no outs, pitching coach Mike Wallace came out to the mound to settle down Hall.  After Wallace’s meeting, Matt Hacker stepped to the plate.  Hacker hit a deep fly ball to centerfield right to Wes Schirtzinger.  The ball was hit deep enough that Kulbacki, who was on third base, should have been able to get home standing up.  What Kulbacki did not realize was that Schirtzinger had a howitzer attached to his right arm.  Howitzer unleashed a throw that would make a Major League scout drool and nailed Kulbacki at the plate.  Catcher Adam Kuchemba did a beautiful job blocking that plate and absorbing Kulbacki’s momentum to complete the unlikely double play.  Kody McManis followed by flying out to end the inning with no damage done.

            The Senators took the momentum of Schirtzinger’s play and converted into some offense in the seventh.  Justin Bunkis led off with a walk and was then taken out of the game for pinch runner Will Bussey.  Bussey stole second on the next pitch to move into scoring position.  AJ Lamonda followed by grounding out to move Bussey to third. Guillermo Martinez got hit with a pitch to place runners on first and third. Kevin Hansen then layed down the perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Bussey and tie the game.  Hansen turned the bunt into a single by hustling down the first base line and Martinez moved to second.  Reggie Dixon broke the tie by driving in Martinez with an RBI single into left field.   Kuchemba followed by grounding out to third base moving Hansen to third and Dixon to second.  During Schirtzinger's at-bat, the Brave pitcher was called for a balk which scored Hansen and made the score 3-1.  Schirtzinger flied out to center to end the inning, but the Senators had given Hall all he needed to close the door on the Braves. 

            The only other threat that the Braves had in the game was squashed when Hall struck out two consecutive batters to end the eighth inning with runners on second and third.  Hall pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to finish off the Braves and collect the win.  Reggie Dixon finished with two hits for the Senators.

            The Senators return home tomorrow night to take on the Fauquier Gators at Waters Field. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m.