Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

A seven-run fourth rallied Waynesboro from a 4-1 deficit in game two of a doubleheader at Harrisonburg and earned the Generals a split with the Turks on Monday.

The split gives Waynesboro the #5 seed in the Valley League playoffs, which get going Tuesday night with the Generals traveling to Front Royal to take on the fourth-seeded Cardinals in Game 1 of a best-of-three first-round series.

Waynesboro got complete-game seven-inning efforts from a pair of pitchers making their first starts of the season, Drew Turocy, who took the tough-luck 1-0 loss in Game 1 on Monday against the Turks, and Devin Smith, who shut out Harrisonburg in the final four innings after giving up three in the first and a single run in the third.

Turocy, the Generals’ starting centerfielder most of the season, keyed the seven-run fourth-inning rally in Game 2 with a three-run homer to right field, his first homer of the season, and the first homer by a General other than Grant Fillipitch, who finished the regular season with six home runs in 2010.

Turocy (0-2) lost Game 1 despite giving up just one run on seven hits in six innings of work. Turocy struck out four and did not issue a walk in the effort.

Smith (1-1) gave up four runs on six hits in seven innings pitched in Game 2. Smith struck out three and walked one.

The split of the doubleheader left Waynesboro and Harrisonburg tied for fifth in the league standings with identical 22-22 records. Waynesboro earned the #5 seed by virtue of their 3-2 advantage over Harrisonburg in their head-to-head series in 2010.

#4 seed Front Royal finished a game ahead of the two teams with a 23-21 record. The Cards and the Generals split their season series at 2-2. Front Royal won the first two matchups between the teams, 3-2 in 11 innings on June 15 in Front Royal and 8-5 on June 29 in Waynesboro, and Waynesboro winning the final two, 9-6 at Front Royal on July 15 and 4-3 in Waynesboro on July 28.

Game 1 of the Waynesboro-Front Royal playoff series is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bing Crosby Stadium in Front Royal.

Game 2 will be played at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mathers Park at Kate Collins Field in Waynesboro.

Game 3, if necessary, would be played on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Front Royal.

Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

Staunton was 13-25 against the rest of the Valley League in 2010, but the Braves finished 5-1 against their cross-county rivals in Waynesboro with a 7-5 win over the Generals at Mathers Park Sunday night.

The game was knotted at 3-3 in the seventh when Waynesboro starter Greg Smith gave up a one-out double to Stephen Branca that drove Daniel Wright home. A two-out double by Patrick Braswell plated Branca and made it 5-3 Staunton.

The Braves added two in the eighth off reliever Justin Thompson, with Brian Collins scoring Justin Bagbey from second with a one-out single and Collins scoring on a two-out error by T.J. Kuban.

Waynesboro rallied for two in the ninth, with a Jon Clinard sacrifice-fly RBI scoring Kuban, and Devin Smith scoring on a wild pitch on strike three to shortstop Jared King on what would have been the game’s final out. King made it to first without a throw to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Drew Turocy, but Turocy grounded into a force play to end it.

Smith (1-1) took the loss for Waynesboro, going allowing five runs on 10 hits in six and two-thirds innings.

Joey cuda (4-5) picked up the win with four and a third innings of relief, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits.

Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

Chastin Akers picked six strong innings in his first start of the Valley League season, and Waynesboro got the win in the first of two on Sunday, knocking off Covington, 6-4.

Akers (1-0) gave up three runs on seven hits in his second appearance of the season. The 6-7 lefty from Concord got some help early as the Generals scored three runs in the bottom of the first aided by a pair of Covington errors, including one on a one-out grounder by Drew Turocy that allowed Colin Harrington and Cody Hudson to score.

Chase Worthington had a pair of sacrifice-fly RBIs for Waynesboro, which had already clinched a playoff berth on Saturday night when Woodstock lost to Winchester.

The win pushes Waynesboro for the moment into fifth place a half-game ahead of idle Harrisonburg.

The Generals host Staunton at 7 p.m. in their regular-season home finale.

Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

Woodstock’s 10-8 loss to Winchester Saturday night means idle Waynesboro has clinched a berth in the 2010 Valley League playoffs.

The Generals, at 20-20 with four games to play, have a grueling two-day stretch to finish the regular season, with doubleheaders on Sunday and Monday.

On Sunday, Waynesboro is scheduled to host Covington (19-22) at 1 p.m. and then host Staunton (17-26) at 7 p.m.

Staunton’s slim playoff hopes remain alive after the Braves (17-26) posted a rain-shortened 6-4 win at Covington Saturday night.

On Monday, the Generals will play a twinbill at Harrisonburg (21-21). The first game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start.

Waynesboro can still finish anywhere from a tie for third to eighth in the league with two days remaining in the regular season.

Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

David Gibson pitched seven strong innings, and Staunton took advantage of six walks surrendered by Waynesboro starter Michael Reed, as the Braves held off the Generals, 6-3, before a season-high crowd of 1,561 at John Moxie Memorial Stadium Friday night.

Waynesboro jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a two-run first-inning homer by third baseman Grant Fillipitch, his sixth of the season. The Braves tied it in the second at 2-2 on a pair of RBI singles by Brian Collins and Stephen Branca, then took control in the fifth, loading the bases with nobody out off Reed (0-5), then scoring when reliever Tim Leather hit Todd Brazeal with an 0-1 fastball and two outs later when Steve Scoby scored from third on a passed ball by catcher Alan Stoupa.

The lead was 6-2 in the seventh on a pair of run-scoring singles by Alex Guerra and Justin Bagbey. Waynesboro loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth off Gibson (1-1), but could only manage one run, on a two-out walk to T.J. Kuban by reliever Tyler Deetjen. Stoupa grounded out to end that threat, and Deetjen retired Waynesboro 1-2-3 in the ninth to close it out.

A Luray doubleheader sweep of Woodstock and a come-from-behind win by league-leading Haymarket over New Market Friday night has Waynesboro’s magic number for a playoff berth at one. The Generals are off on Saturday, and return to action on Sunday with a day-night, two-team doubleheader at Mathers Park, playing Covington in a makeup game for an early-week rainout at 1 p.m., then hosting Staunton at 7 p.m. in the regular-season home finale.