Danville Braves clinch East Division title with 9-6 victory

Danville clinched the Appalachian League East Division title and a berth in the Appy League Championship Series by dumping Johnson City 9-6 on Sunday afternoon at Dan Daniel Park.

The D-Braves (42-17), who have steamrolled to the division crown with nine games remaining in their 68-game regular season, will make their fifth appearance in the league’s championship series in six years and their first since 2007. Danville captured its only league championship in 2006, but advanced to the ALCS four consecutive times from 2004-07. The D-Braves faced Elizabethton each of the last three times they advanced to the title series and will likely face the two-time defending champs again, as the Twins hold a sizeable lead in the West Division. Danville is 4-2 against Elizabethton this season.

“I’ve been fortunate to have good players. I’ve got an outstanding coaching staff and these guys, they’ve bought into the plan and the strategy that we’ve mapped out,” D-Braves manager Paul Runge said. “We have the fortune of working with these guys in the extended spring training program, the nucleus of these guys, we bring them north here to Danville, and we have been the beneficiaries of some pretty talented drafts. You put those two ingredients together, along with the hard work of this coaching staff, it’s a pleasant situation to have as a manager. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Brett Oberholtzer earned the victory by hurling five shutout innings while allowing two hits, striking out three and walking none. The lefty no-hit the Cardinals (31-26) through the first four innings as Danville rocketed to a 9-0 advantage before Johnson City surged late in the game.

The D-Braves took a 3-0 lead in the second inning and a stranglehold on the contest with a five-run outburst in the third. All but one Danville starter recorded a hit, five finished with multiple hits and four scored twice as the D-Braves remained unbeaten against the Cardinals in four meetings this season.

Osman Marval, Matt Weaver, Bobby Rauh and Chris Curley each belted a pair of hits for Danville. Marval, Weaver, Rauh and Cory Harrilchack all scored twice and Wiley and Weaver each collected a pair of RBIs.

“We were cruising right along after five innings, and we kind of made life difficult for ourselves down the stretch,” Runge said, “but we’ve had some guys that haven’t pitched in a while out there, and they didn’t quite have their command. But fortunately we were able to put out the fire.”

Danville lost the shutout in the seventh inning, and Johnson City scored three runs in the eighth, including two on wild pitches by Danville relief pitcher Eric Barrett, who was lifted after 2/3 of an inning on the mound. The Cardinals scored twice more in the ninth inning without recording a hit and had the bases loaded and the go-ahead run at the plate before Danville escaped with the victory.

“There was no doubt in our team’s mind that we were going to win this game,” Oberholtzer said. “Everyone knew we were going to. It was just about closing it out.”

A hit batter, error and walk with Danville right-hander Adam Bullard on the mound loaded the bases for Johnson City with no outs in the ninth. Bullard induced a pop out to third for the first out of the inning but walked in a run to bring the tying run to the plate. Bullard was replaced on the mound by lefty Derick Himpsl, who also walked in a run but fired a strikeout and worked a groundout to end the game and earn his first career save.

“They’re going to bring a good game,” Himpsl said about likely facing Elizabethton in the championship series, “but we’re going to bring a better one.”

D-Braves postseason tickets on sale

The Danville Braves have put Appalachian League Championship Series general admission tickets on sale for ALCS Games 2 and 3. By hosting the final two games of the series, it is guaranteed that the Appy League title will be won in Danville this season.

Game 2 is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, and Game 3, if necessary, is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4. General admission tickets are $6.50, and youth (14 and under) and senior (60 and over) general admission tickets are $5.50.

General admission tickets can be purchased at the Braves office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling the Braves at (434) 797-3792. Fans can also purchase playoff general admission tickets at the customer service tent until the seventh inning on game nights.

Reserve tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday for $8.50.

On deck

Danville LHP Chris Masters (6-4, 1.69 ERA) opposes Johnson City RHP Angel DeJesus (0-1, 12.27 ERA) in the second game of this three-game series at 7 p.m. today at Dan Daniel Park.