Generals Neutralize Cannons

 

The Generals blasted three home runs in the five-run fifth inning on the road in Purcellville to blow the game open and improve their record to 5-2.

Waynesboro got things started right from the start with a two run inning in the top of the first. After a double play ball turned by the Cannons, there was nobody on and two out in the inning. Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) would start things with a walk. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would walk as well to put runners at first and second. Jackson Tate (Alabama) would deliver the big blow with a double scorched down the left field line to bring in both Kinker and Clarke. The double marked Jackson’s 4th of the year and also gave him his 4th and 5th RBI of the summer.

The Generals would wait until the fourth inning to strike again, this time just for one run. Santiago Garcia (Alabama State) would start things with a single. Two batters later, the cannons would commit an error, a category they dubiously lead the league in. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) would drive in Garcia with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. The Gens would have the lead with a 3-0 mark after three and a half innings.

The Cannons would respond with their first run in the bottom of the fourth. To this point, the starter for the Gens, Eric Sapp (Gannon University) was dealing with not much resistance. However, when Sapp barely missed with a very close 2-2 count pitch, Jose Aquino would make the most of his opportunity. He blasted a solo shot to straight away left field to make the score 3-1 after four complete innings.

The Generals saw Aquino having fun with his homer in the fourth and wanted to have some fun of their own. Seth Cannady (Florida International) would start things out with a sharp single to left. Two batters later, Wes Clarke would unload on a ball to center that drilled off the press box in straight away centerfield. It was the second homer for Clarke on the season, and to that point, he had the only two home runs the Generals had hit this summer. Fans were still settling back into their seats when Jackson Tate would hit a deep drive to left centerfield. After the ball hit off the concrete warning track at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville, the sky high bounce provided Jackson with some time to motor around the bases. He would eventually use his top level speed to come all the way around for an inside-the-park home run to tally his first of the summer, and the first homer for the Generals by someone not named Wes Clarke. Santi Garcia would keep the line moving with a single. If two homers in the inning wasn’t enough, Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) would hammer a high deep drive right down the right field line. After a few moments of suspense in waiting for the umpire’s decision of whether it was fair or foul, Cady was allowed to continue his trot around the bases to record his first homer of the season. The score after all this was said and done in the fifth inning was 8-1.

The Cannons would add a run in the bottom of the sixth and another in the bottom of the ninth to make the score 8-3, but the game was never really in doubt after the power display in the fifth. The win would improve the Generals to 5-2 and would drop the Cannons to 1-7.

Key Performers for Purcellville:

Jose Aquino: 4-4, HR, RBI, 2 R

Michael Brewer: 2-4, 2B, RBI

Kyle Hayes: 2-4, 2B, R

 

Key Performers for Waynesboro:

Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 1-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB

Santiago Garcia (Alabama State): 3-4, 2 R

Jackson Tate (Alabama): 2-5, 2B, HR (1), 3 RBI

Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State): 1-5, HR (1), 2 RBI

Eric Sapp (Gannon University): 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

 

Waynesboro will be back in action on Wednesday when they welcome the Front Royal Cardinals to Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field for a 7 pm game.

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!