Late Saturday Night Contest Sees Braves Over Gens

In a ball game that didn’t get started until 8:30 due to wet field conditions, the Braves outlasted the Generals in a tightly contested Saturday night showdown.

Both teams started their offensive nights with runs in the first frame. In the top of the first, Cole Swiger singled to center to start the night for Staunton. After a walk to the next hitter, Staunton elected to play small ball early on and sacrifice the runners to second and third with one out. After a Braves strike out, Will Simoneit hit an infield single to the hole at shortstop to bring in the first run of the game.

The Generals would answer right back. Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) singled to start the night. Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St) drew a walk to create a carbon copy of the top half of the inning. Chase Cheek (Duke) then went to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but placed it so perfectly that he was able to beat the throw for a bunt single. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) was able to bring in the first General run by taking a pitch off his back for an RBI hit-by-pitch. The bases were still loaded with nobody out when the next hitter rolled into a double play. It did, however, give the Generals the lead at 2-1.

Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) was the starter for the Generals on Saturday night. After giving up a run in the first, he was able to settle in a bit. With 4 hits and 2 walks, he did have to pitch himself out of some jams, but was able to do so masterfully with 6 strikeouts. It was after his 5 innings were up that trouble set in for the Generals. With the new pitcher in the game, the Braves struck for runs in each of the next 3 innings.

In the 6th, the Braves were able to work their first two on by a walk and HBP. They decided to go with the small ball route again and laid down a sacrifice bunt. Justin Beyer (Wagner) was the new pitcher in the game and tried to force a throw into third base, but ended up throwing the ball into left field, allowing a run to score and runners to second and third. After Beyer walked the next hitter, his night was done. The left-handed Bryan Wilcox (FGCU) came into the ball game to try and get out of the jam. He did just that by getting a shallow fly ball to left for out number one and a 4-6-3 double play for outs 2 and 3 to not allow another run to score. The score was now tied at 2-2.

Unfortunately, the 7th didn’t go as smoothly for Wilcox. After a leadoff single, the runner came all the way around to score on a double into the left field gap. Wilcox managed to strike out the next hitter, but that would be the end of his night. He would give way to Matt Nickles (Randolph-Macon). Nickles wouldn’t be able to strand Wilcox’s last runner as he surrendered a two-out RBI single to Brycen Thomas. The score after 7 complete was 4-2.

In the 8th, there was more of the same. A leadoff single started things out for the Braves. Nickles then got what looked like a 6-4-3 double play ball to delete the runner from first. Umpires came together and ruled that the throw pulled the first baseman from the bag. Cole Swiger would make the Gens pay for the mistake by ripping a double into the left center gap for an RBI. After a groundout to second base to move Swiger to third, he came in to score on a wild pitch. That put the Braves on top by 4 and they were never threatened in the late innings.

The Generals were only able to muster 6 hits total in the game. This marks the 8th time in 14 games that the Gens were held to 4 runs or less.

Key Performers for Staunton:

  • Cole Swiger: 4-5, RBI 2B, 2 R
  • Eric Conner: 1-4, RBI 2B, R
  • Braves Bullpen: 4.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K.

Key Performers for Waynesboro:

  • Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston): ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
  • Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 2-4, R
  • Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary): 2-4, 2B

The Generals will have to sleep fast as they take on the Purcellville Cannons at home on Sunday night at 7 PM at Kate Collins Field.

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