Generals knock off Braves, climb into tie for first

Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
 

Brian Adkins pitched six strong innings, and Waynesboro held off a late Staunton rally, en route to a 6-3 Generals win Wednesday night at Mathers Park.

Adkins, a Central Florida freshman, gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits and struck out seven Braves without walking a batter.

Staunton starter Hunter Atkins got off to a rough start in the first, walking three and hitting a batter around a Drew Turocy seeing-eye single that staked the Generals to a 2-0 lead after one.

A Justin Bagby homer in the second cut the lead to 2-1, but Brian Atkins took control from there on the mound, and a three-run fifth-inning outburst put the Generals in control.

An unearned run in the third made it 3-1 Waynesboro, and a pair of two-out RBI singles by Cody Hudson and Jared King and a wild pitch that later scored a diving Hudson made it 6-1 Waynesboro.

Staunton scored an unearned run in the sixth when Alex Guerra singled then came all the way around after stealing second, advancing to third on a bad throw by catcher Chris Colquhoun and then was awarded home plate after centerfielder Drew Turocy overthrew third trying to cut Guerra down there.

It stayed 6-2 Waynesboro into the ninth, when closer Andrew Blackwell ran into trouble around an error by shortstop Jon Clinard and a hard single to center by Scott Scoby. Blackwell rallied to strike out Patrick Braswell and Andrew Bartlett before walking pinch-hitter David Regidor to load the bases. Turocy came in from center to try to put out the fire, and after walking Guerra to force in a run that made the score 6-3, he was able to get Stephen Branca to ground out to short to end the game.

The win brings Waynesboro into a three-way tie for first in the Valley League with Staunton and Woodstock at 3-1.