2019 Regular Season Recap
The Generals put together their best regular season since the team was created in 1935. They finished with the best record in the league of 31-11. After starting the year 6-5, the Gens won 25 out of their last 31 games. They had three separate winning streaks of at least five games. Those three streaks include the last five games of the regular season that the Gens were able to win. They enter the playoffs hot at the right time.
Offensively, the Gens put up a .285 batting average with just under 100 doubles and 41 long balls. A big contributor in those categories was Wes Clarke (Forest, VA | South Carolina). Wes finished fifth in the league in hitting with a .364 batting average. He led the team in doubles with 14 and home runs with six. Other key players in getting the batting average up to that high number of .285 were Connor Norby (Kernersville, NC | East Carolina) with a .333 batting average with 4 triples and 4 homers, Jack Murphy (Orinda, CA | St. Mary’s) with a .314 batting average with 11 doubles, three home runs, and 25 RBI, and finally, Gunner Peterson (Salem, WI | Illinois St.) with a .321 batting average with three home runs. The team didn’t just sit around and wait for extra base hits either. They were able to steal 65 bases. Jackson Tate (Pike Road, AL | Alabama) stole 12 to lead the team. Kobe Lopez (Orlando, FL | Florida International) stole 11 bases to follow up Tate. Finally, Bryson Worrell (Sims, NC | East Carolina) stole eight to round out the top three. With all these extra base hits and stolen bases, it should come as no surprise that the team averaged right around eight runs per game. The top five run scorers on the team were Kobe Lopez with 37, Wes Clarke with 33, Jackson Tate with 32, Connor Norby with 31, and Jack Murphy and Joey Kinker (North Port, FL | Florida Gulf Coast) tied with 30. The people with the highest amount of runs driven in looks pretty similar to the people that have scored the most runs. Top five RBI men were Jackson Tate with 31, Wes Clarke with 29, Jack Murphy with 25, Kobe Lopez with 23, and Eli Quiceno (Berryville, VA | Gannon University) with 21. Finally, the Gens organization wants to thank our top five guys in games played. These guys brought it every night for the team and never complained once. Kobe Lopez and Joey Kinker with 40 games played, Jackson Tate and Jack Murphy with 38 games played, Wes Clarke with 37, and Ethan Cady (Soddy Daisy, TN | East Tennessee State) with 32.
Those offensive numbers were phenomenal considering the team’s pitching was so dominant. There were some nights where the pitching had to carry the load, and this team could do it with starters or a suffocating bullpen. Our top 5 pitchers for wins include Deven Judy (Belle Vernon, PA | Gannon University), Zach Kirby (Upland, CA | East Tennessee State), Zach Blankenship (Fleming Island, FL | Valdosta St), Luke Short (Los Gatos, CA | St. Mary’s), and Tyler Shuck (Cape Coral, FL | Florida Gulf Coast). The five-man tie for the team lead in wins saw them get three wins. As for the suffocating bullpen, the team picked up a total of nine saves. McLain Harris (Griffin, GA | Young Harris Col) led the team with three, Christian Edwards (Hartselle, AL | Jacksonville State) had two, and a host of players with one apiece. They include Nick Zegna (Newark, DE | George Mason), Christian Dearman (Pembroke Pines, FL | Florida International), Jan Figueroa (Trujillo Alto, PR | Florida International), and Matt Mercer (Chattanooga, TN | East Tennessee State). The team’s ERA was 3.72 and the total amount of runs given up per game sat at just 4.70. The top five players in ERA for the team were Christian Dearman with a 0.45 ERA, McLain Harris with a 0.85 ERA, Luke Short with a 2.18, Jan Figueroa with a 2.82 ERA, and Deven Judy with a 3.21. The staff was able to strike out a little over nine per game to take pressure off the defense. The top five strikeout men were McLain Harris with 31, Zach Kirby with 29, Deven Judy and Daniel Casto (Olive Branch, MS | Memphis) with 27, and Tyler Shuck and Luke Short with 26.
With the playoffs set, let’s look at how the Generals fared against the possible opponents from both divisions.
#2 Seed in the South: Charlottesville Tom Sox
The Gens were 4-2 against their rivals from just down I-64. However, the Generals won their last four decisions against the Tom Sox. The last time the Tom Sox were victorious over the Gens, it took 10 innings on June 21st. The Tom Sox scored an unearned run in the 10th to win by a score of 2-1. That moved the season series to 2-0 in favor of the Tom Sox. However, the Generals rattled off four straight wins to win the season series. That included three consecutive games for the Generals from July 4th to July 8th.
#3 Seed in the South: Covington Lumberjacks
The Gens were 5-1 against the Jacks on the season. The one victory that the Jacks had against the Gens came on June 4th. They also had a very good opportunity to win a back end of a double header vs. the Gens on July 18th, but the Gens mounted a comeback from three runs down in the top of the sixth of a seven inning game with five runs to win the game 5-4.
#4 Seed in the South: Staunton Braves
The rivalry was a bit one-sided in the regular season. The Gens won all six matchups between the two teams. The Braves had a very good chance on June 26th. The bases were empty in the ninth with two outs in the inning and they were leading by three runs at their home ball park. However, the Gens mounted a comeback that was highlighted by a game-tying 3-run homer by Joey Kinker to tie it up. The Gens would eventually win in the 10th.
#1 Seed in the North: Strasburg Express
The Gens were 3-0 against the North division’s top team. This includes the 17-4 victory in Strasburg on the final day of the regular season for the Gens to clinch the best win-loss record in team history. The other two matchups between the teams saw the Gens winning by a margin of four runs each time.
#2 Seed in the North: Woodstock River Bandits
The Gens finished 2-1 against the River Bandits this season. The two wins they had against Woodstock were both high-scoring affairs. The Gens took the first matchup 20-10 in Woodstock. They mounted a five run comeback in the ninth to tie and eventually win the game in the 11th inning in the second matchup. Finally, the River Bandits came up with a victory against the Gens in Woodstock.
#3 Seed in the North: New Market Rebels
The Gens lost the season series 2-1 to the Rebels this season. The Rebels were only one of two teams in the entire Valley League that had a winning record vs the Generals. The Gens took the opening game in New Market on June 6th by a score of 13-5. But The Rebels swept a double header at Kate Collins Field on June 16th. The Rebels took both games by one run. The first game finished at 5-4 and the second finished at 2-1.
#4 Seed in the North: Winchester Royals
The Winchester Royals were the other of the two teams that had winning records vs. the Gens this summer. The first matchup on June 27th saw the Gens pick up their one win over Winchester with a 10-6 score. A go-ahead 3-run homer by Ethan Cady in the bottom of the 5th would prove to be the game-winner. However, the Royals took the next two games of the series. The first was at Waynesboro that they connected on a couple homers to win 9-6. The other was in Winchester when they shut out the Gens 4-0. That marked the only time the Gens were shutout on the season.
Now that the scene is set, it’s time to enjoy some playoff baseball in the Valley League! Game One of the first series against the Staunton Braves is Sunday, July 28th, at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field at 7 PM. The Gens are looking for their 7th VBL Championship and first since 2014.
Gens Sweep Three Game Set With Second Place Charlottesville
Waynesboro opened up a lead in the South division over the second place Tom Sox with three wins in five days. Two wins on the road and another at home has the Gens leading the South division by four games.
Game One
The first game of the three game set was the annual Independence Day clash between the Gens and the Tom Sox.
Waynesboro got off to a hot start with two runs in their first frame in front of a crowd announced at over 2,000 people. Connor Norby (East Carolina) worked his way on to start the inning. He got moved to third two batters later on a single by Kobe Lopez (Florida International). After stolen bases by both Norby and Lopez on separate pitches, Norby came in to score on a balk by Charlottesville’s starting pitcher. Kobe Lopez scored on the single by Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) to give the Gens an early 2-0 lead.
Charlottesville wouldn’t allow the home fans to worry long. They put up six unanswered runs over the next three innings, including a four run first. A walk by Kirby McMullen got things started in the first inning. Thomas Francisco continued his hot hitting with a triple to left center field to drive in McMullen. Trey McDyre ripped a single to drive in Francisco. Finally, Christian Hlinka provided the big blow in the inning with a two-run homer deep to right field.
The Tom Sox added a run in the second on a two-out RBI single by Thomas Francisco to make the score 5-2. In the third it was Christian Hlinka picking up another base hit, this time just a leadoff single. Dan Harwood came up with a double two batters later to drive in Hlinka for what turned out to be the last run the Tom Sox would be able to muster. The score after three complete was 6-2 in favor of the Tom Sox.
The Generals, however, have had the uncanny ability to pull themselves back into ball games this year, and Thursday night was no different. They added runs in the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth innings to get themselves back into the game. After Connor Norby homered Wednesday at home vs. Front Royal, he made it back-to-back nights with a homer with his solo blast in the top of the fifth to make the score 6-3. In the sixth, Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) doubled to lead things off. Jackson Tate (Alabama) walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Jackson Greene (Florida State) laid down a safety squeeze to pick up another run. The score now read 6-4. In the eighth, the Gens pulled a bit closer. It was Jackson Tate working a one out walk, moving to second on a wild pitch, and to third on a groundout. Jackson Greene came up big again with a single to center field with two outs in the inning. However, the Generals would strand Greene and would head to the ninth still down by one.
In the ninth, the leadoff hitter Connor Norby singled through the left side. After a deep fly out and a slow roller to shortstop, the Gens would have Norby at second but with two outs. The Generals called on Brad Burckel (Houston) in a pinch hitting opportunity to get the runner in from second. Burckel was coming off the previous night where he picked up three hits, three RBI, and was named “Valley League Hitter of the Night” by AllThingsValleyLeague. Burckel continued his hot hitting in this key situation with a single up the middle that tied the game. After the game-tying single, Charlottesville’s pitcher became a bit rattled. He gave up a four pitch walk to Jack Murphy and hit Jackson Tate with a pitch. After a pitching change, Gunner Peterson (Illinois State) came up with the go-ahead run on another four pitch walk. The Gens took their one run lead into the bottom of the ninth with Christian Edwards (Jacksonville State) on to try and record the save.
With it being the fourth of July and the game getting started a bit late due to rain, the fireworks display that is set up for Charlottesville High School started while in between innings. So Christian Edwards would have to try to work through the ninth inning only up one run with +2,000 fans, a good part of the lineup for the Tom Sox, and fireworks going off so close to the field that Coach Cole was quoted as saying they could feel the concussion from the field. Edwards managed to do so beautifully. He got a ground out to third, a strikeout, and after a two-out walk, another strikeout to shut the door for his second save of the summer.
Key Performers for Charlottesville in Game One:
Thomas Francisco: 3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, R
Christian Hlinka: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Dan Harwood: 2-4, 2B, RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro in Game One:
Connor Norby (East Carolina): 2-4, HR (2), RBI, 3 R
McLain Harris (Young Harris College), Jan Figueroa (Florida International), and Deven Judy (Gannon U): Combined for 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K to hold the Tom Sox down.
Christian Edwards (Jacksonville State): SV (2), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Brad Burckel (Houston): 1-1, Game-tying RBI single
The Generals moved their record to 18-8 and would have a night off Friday before taking on the Tom Sox again Saturday night at home.
Game Two
Charlottesville entered game two having made a huge comeback over South division foe Staunton in the ninth inning on Friday night. The Generals were well rested after having their first true day off in over two weeks. The Generals defended their home territory and made it known quickly that they were ready for the second game with Charlottesville.
In the bottom of the first, Connor Norby started things with a chopper over the pitcher’s head for an infield single. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Kobe Lopez hit a grounder to third and the Tom Sox third baseman delivered a throw that was a bit high to the second baseman that ended up bounding out into right field to allow Norby to score from second base. The Gens were out to a 1-0 lead after one complete inning.
The Generals got right back on the board in the second inning. Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) singled to right field with one out. Two batters later, Wes Clarke drilled a double to the warning track in right center field. It brought Kinker all the way around to score. The Gens made it 2-0 after two innings.
The game fell into a bit of a lull. Tyler Shuck (Florida Gulf Coast) worked through five shutout innings while scattering nine base runners. He allowed five hits and four walks, but picked up some key double plays as well as three strikeouts to work through danger. He left the game with a 2-0 lead and Jan Figueroa (Florida International) came in for relief. Jan tossed two more shut out innings while the General offense provided some breathing room.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jack Murphy got a ball to drop in perfectly down the left field line and hustled his way into second for a double. Two batters later, his host brother Jackson Tate ripped a single into left to allow Murphy to score. In the seventh, the Generals provided the pitching staff with more breathing room after another shutout inning by Figueroa. Back-to-back singles from Norby and Clarke had runners at first and second. Kobe Lopez dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position. Jack Murphy took advantage with a single up the middle to score Norby and move Clarke to third. Eli Quiceno (Gannon U) followed things up with an RBI infield single to bring in another run and push the score to 5-0.
The Generals turned to Christian Dearman (Florida International) for the top of the eighth. As he’s done all year, he threw up yet another zero for the opposing team. He tossed a scoreless top half while allowing just one hit. As teams were switching from offense to defense and vice versa, the skies opened up with some of the hardest rain and wind that the area had seen in awhile. This soaked the field beyond its playing point and the Generals walked away with a 5-0 win in eight innings.
Key Performers for Charlottesville in Game Two:
Cayman Richardson: 2-4
Cal Greenfield: 1-2, BB
Kirby McMullen: 1-1, BB
Key Performers for Waynesboro in Game Two:
Connor Norby (East Carolina): 2-4, 2 R
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Tyler Shuck (Florida Gulf Coast): W (2-0), 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
Jan Figueroa (Florida International): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Christian Dearman (Florida International): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The Generals moved their record to 19-8 the night before the Valley League All-Star Game. They knew they would have to face Charlottesville one more time this week on Monday. First pitch at C-Ville Weekly Ballpark was set for 7 pm for a makeup game from a previous rain-out.
Game Three
The Generals had a three game lead going into Monday night with an opportunity to sweep the three game set with Charlottesville and take a four game lead over the Tom Sox.
The Tom Sox opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first with two quick runs. A single by Cayman Richardson and a double by Thomas Francisco had runners at second and third with just one out. Trey McDyre had an RBI groundout and Christian Hlinka sharply singled to right to bring in both runners. The Gens had once again fallen victim to those first inning runs.
But as they do so often, they responded quickly with a run in the top of the second. A fielder’s choice on Jackson Tate put him on first. Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) singled through the right side to put runners at first and second. A walk to Joey Kinker loaded the bases for Brad Burckel. Burckel was able to bring in the run on a fielder’s choice to second base. The score was 2-1 after two innings of play.
The Generals tied the game up with another run in the third inning. Connor Norby singled to get things started. However after two outs, the Tom Sox looked like they had things under control. Gunner Peterson singled to center and brought Norby to third. A couple pitches into the next at-bat, the catcher mishandled a ball at the plate and with heads up base running, Norby was able to slide in safely at home. The score was tied at 2.
The Tom Sox bounced back to with a run in the bottom of the third to retake the lead. Cayman Richardson started things out with another single. Kirby McMullen followed up with a single to put runners at first and second. Thomas Francisco singled through the right side that brought Richardson around to score. The Tom Sox held their lead until the top of the fifth.
The fifth is when the Generals would bust out with five runs to take the lead. After three straight walks loaded the bases to begin the inning, Gunner Peterson ripped a single to right field. The ball scooted under the glove of McMullen and ran a good bit past him. This allowed all three runs to score as well as getting Peterson to third base. Jackson Tate doubled to right to bring in the fourth run of the inning. Tate wasn’t content with second base, so he decided to steal third with still nobody out in the inning. Ethan Cady came up with an RBI ground out to put the score at 7-3 in favor of the Generals.
This put Zach Kirby (East Tennessee State) in line for the win if he could work through the fifth inning. Kirby seized his opportunity with a three up-three down inning in the fifth. He allowed six hits and three earned runs over his five innings, but held the Tom Sox down for the most part. He also scattered six strikeouts over his five innings to pick up his first win of the summer.
The Gens blew the game open in the seventh inning with four more runs to suck the life out of the sparse already sparse crowd at C-Ville Weekly Ballpark. After a couple of walks and a single by Jackson Tate, the bases were loaded with nobody out in the inning. After a pitching change, Joey Kinker ripped a two RBI single to right field to drive in Peterson and Tate. Ethan Cady later came into score on a wild pitch and Kinker was brought home on a sacrifice fly to center by Kobe Lopez. This got the score to 11-3.
The Tom Sox would add a couple of runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the game was well in hand for the Gens. They took home the win with a final score of 11-5.
Key Performers for Charlottesville in Game Three:
Thomas Francisco: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
Cayman Richardson: 2-4, 2 R
Christian Hlinka: 2-4, RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro in Game Three:
Gunner Peterson (Illinois State): 3-4, 2 RBI, 2 R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 3-5, 2B, RBI, 3 R
Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast): 2-3, RBI, R
Zach Kirby (East Tennessee State): W (1-2), 5 IP, 6 K, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Christian Edwards (Jacksonville State): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
The Generals moved their record to 20-8 after the three game sweep of the Charlottesville Tom Sox over the last five days. Overall, the Gens have won 11 out of their last 12 games and five games in a row. They hold a four game lead over the rest of the division and will host the Winchester Royals on Tuesday night at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field. First pitch is set for 7 pm.
Waynesboro Takes A Beating in 11-1 Loss to Charlottesville
Charlottesville was able to put up all 11 of their runs in the first 4 innings. The Gens never really threatened their lead afterwards.
It started right away in the first. After the Gens went 3 up, 3 down, Charlottesville started by getting their first three batters on. The lead-off batter reached on the first of 5 errors made by the Gens on the night. He was followed with a walk before Dom DAllessandro’s RBI double. The next batter grounded into an RBI 5-3 put out to put up the final run in the first inning.
The Generals once again couldn’t formulate much other than a 2-out single by Bryce Teodosio (Clemson). Teodosio had a pretty good night at the park, but that was about the only bright spot. In the bottom of the 2nd, the TomSox really opened it up by scoring 6 runs. It wasn’t until the 9th batter in the inning that the Gens were able to record the first out of the inning. By that time, they had already scored 5 runs. The 6th and final run was put on the board by an RBI fielder’s choice.
The TomSox would continue to prove relentless. They scored 3 more in the bottom of the 4th inning. The Generals made 2 errors, walked one, and gave up only 1 hit in the inning. However, the TomSox made the most of the hit and also added a sacrifice fly to put up their 3 runs to make it 11-0.
The only bit of offense for the Generals came on a solo home run by Bryce Teodosio in the top of the 7th inning. Teodosio racked up 3 hits to lead the club in that aspect. The 11-1 score after the homer would be the final
Key Performers for Charlottesville:
- Zac Ching: 2-4, 3 RBI
- Dom DAllessandro: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI
- Kirby McMullen: W, 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Bryce Teodosio (Clemson): 3-4, HR, RBI
- Blake Johnson (UAB): 2-4
- Jacob Weirich (Southern Miss): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The Generals (18-15) will travel to the North division leading Front Royal Cardinals Sunday night to try and snap a small 2 game skid.
Generals Win Independence Day Matchup Over Charlottesville
After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the TomSox came all the way back to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th. Enter Bryce Teodosio (Clemson). On the second pitch of the top of the 8th inning, Teodosio hammered a ball over the centerfield fence for his second 8th inning, go-ahead homer of the year to put the Gens on top for good.
After 2 complete innings, neither team had really even threatened to score. Matt Ellmyer (Wofford) was dualing against his Wofford College teammate Jake Hershman for Charlottesville. In the top of the 3rd, the Generals were able to crack Hershman. The bats would come alive with vengeance with 6 straight hits to start the inning. Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St.) started it off. He was moved to second by a Joe Bellini (Cincinnati) single and to third by a Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) single. Chase Cheek (Duke) put the first run on the board with yet another single. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) would follow suit and hit a single that brought in two runs and moved Cheek around to third. Cheek would come in to score on a wild pitch during Alex Brait’s (Florida Gulf Coast) at bat. Later in Brait’s at bat, he would double to bring in Orzel. The score after 3 was 5-0.
Matt Ellmyer was impressive in his start. He went 5 shutout innings while only allowing 4 hits. The Generals would allow him to pitch with a 6 run lead after they tacked on one more run in the top of the 5th inning. Chase Cheek led off the inning with a single to right field. He would eventually steal second. With 2 outs in the inning, Bryce Teodosio would step up and deliver the 6th run courtesy of a single to center field.
It wasn’t until the 6th inning after Ellmyer had been taken out that the TomSox would wake up offensively. The TomSox would put up 5 in the bottom of the 6th. The first 3 batters of the inning worked their way on without having to make contact with the baseball. It went HBP, Walk, HBP for the first 3 to load the bases. The next hitter would single to bring in one. 2 more runs scored on the next play when a groundball was misplayed by the General defense. That was followed by a sacrifice fly to left field for out number 1. The next batter would ground out to second base, but would be followed with back to back singles to drive in yet another run. The score after 6 complete was 6-5 in favor of Waynesboro.
In the 7th, the TomSox would tie the game after a leadoff double and some manufacturing. The lead off double was moved to third on a groundball to the second baseman. He then scored on another grounder to the second baseman. The score was right back where we started at. Tie ball game, 6-6, going into the top of the 8th.
It didn’t stay tied for long. Bryce Teodosio sent his second homer of the year out in dramatic fashion. This would give the Generals the lead with only 6 more outs to record. In the bottom of the 8th, Aron Solis (Texas Southern) came on to pitch. He immediately gave up a leadoff double. This situation had Gens fans feeling a bit uneasy at CVille Weekly Ballpark. However, Solis did masterful work at getting around the TomSox hitters to hold on to the lead. The runner was never able to advance from second after a flyout to left field for out number 1, a strikeout for out number 2, and a ground ball to third base for out number 3.
In the bottom of the 9th, Solis trotted back out to the mound to try and get 3 more outs. This time, he didn’t even let the TomSox think about tying the game. He started the inning with a hard hit flyout to center field. He followed that up with his second strikeout of his appearance. Finally, the third out was recorded on a ground ball to the first baseman. The final score was 7-6.
Key Performers for Charlottesville:
- Pat McColl: 2-4, BB
- Alex Mardiney: 1-5, 2 RBI, R
- Brent Centracchio: 1-4, 2B, 2 R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Bryce Teodosio (Clemson): 2-3, Go-Ahead HR, 2 RBI, R
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 2-5, SB, RBI, 2 R
- Matt Ellmyer (Wofford): ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
- Aron Solis (Texas Southern): SV (1), 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The Generals will return home on Thursday to take on the team that last beat them, the Staunton Braves. Game time set for 7 pm at Kate Collins Field.
Generals Take Down TomSox in “Relentless” Fashion
Wednesday night saw the Charlottesville TomSox come to Kate Collins Field on a good stretch of 4 wins in their last 5 games. The Generals were one of those wins earlier on in the week when they traveled to Charlottesville.
Head Coach John Jeanes (Chipola) called this victory one of the most relentless efforts he’s seen from the team all summer. Pitchers pitched their way out of jams, hitters came up with hits in key moments, and the defense was impeccable.
After the TomSox got runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out, Gens starter Matt Ellmyer (Wofford) worked two straight strikeouts. The hitter for Charlottesville, Max Bazin, then slashed a ball towards the right center gap that looked destined to be 2 RBIs on the play. However, new addition to the club Dylan Cloonan (Miami) had different ideas. He laid out, using full extension, to bring down the snow cone diving grab to end the inning.
The Generals would ride that momentum right into the bottom half of the 2nd inning. Alex Brait (FGCU) would lead things off with a single, only to be picked off during the next at bat. Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) would officially start the rally with a walk. Dalton Wingo (UCF), Tyler Trovinger (Oakland), Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St), and Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) would connect on consecutive singles to drive in a total of 3 runs in the inning.
The TomSox got right back to business in the top of the 3rd with a leadoff double. He would eventually come around to score on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to tighten the score to 3-1. It was the first of 3 straight runs. The other runs came in the 5th. It started with another lead off hit for the TomSox and was followed up by an Anthony Lazar double off the top of the fence. Finally, Bazin was brought in to score later in the inning on an infield single. The TomSox had tied the score at 3.
The Gens would answer right away with a big inning in the bottom of the 5th. Gabe Montenegro started with a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Following a walk by Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary), Dylan Cloonan dropped down yet another bunt single to load the bases with nobody out. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) hit a deep sacrifice fly that allowed all three runners to tag up. Alex Brait followed up with another sac fly to deep right. That made the score 5-3 with a runner on third base and 2 outs. Tyler Bielamowicz drove in what ended up being the final run of the game.
The TomSox would threaten in the later innings by loading the bases twice, but could never get the big hit they needed in the game. Hunter Shuff (USC Aiken) would work a 1-2-3 ninth to finish off the game.
Key Performers for Charlottesville:
- Anthony Lazar: 2-5, 2B, RBI, R
- Jake Allen: 1-1, 2B, 2 BB, R
- Nick Oar: 1-4, RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St): 3-4, RBI
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 3-4, RBI, SB
- Tyler Trovinger (Oakland): 2-4, RBI, R
- Aron Solis (Texas Southern): W (1-0), 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
The Generals will look for their 3rd straight win when they travel to Covington on Thursday to take on the Lumberjacks at 7 PM
Generals Drop 3rd Straight in Charlottesville
Back-to-back 3-run innings were too much to handle for the Generals on Monday night in Charlottesville. The Generals were only able to muster 4 runs on 13 hits.
Things looked promising in the early going for the Generals. They were looking to snap a minor 2 game skid heading into the home of the most recent Valley League Champions in Charlottesville. In the top of the 2nd, the Gens were looking for a huge inning after a leadoff single from Andrew Orzel (Wofford) was followed by a double by catcher, Alex Brait (FGCU). The Generals ended up only getting one run in the inning after a pop up to short, a sacrifice fly to deep left by Jackson Webb (UCF), and a strike out.
In the 3rd inning, the Gens started with three straight hits. Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) led off with a double and was brought in by a Chase Cheek (Duke) double. Cheek was brought around to score immediately after that on an RBI single by Tanner Thomas (Virginia Tech). The inning took an abrupt turn, however, when Thomas stole second on a 3rd strike and the home plate umpire ruled Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) leaned across the plate, deeming it batters interference. The score after 3 was 3-0 in favor of the visiting Generals.
It wasn’t until the 4th that the TomSox were able to crack Waynesboro starter Nathan Schneider (St. Mary’s). Schneider was on to work another inning and was ambushed by three straight hits and a walk to the first four batters, chasing him from the game early. Pat McColl started things out with an infield single. He was followed by two straight doubles to bring in two runs. Fred Villarreal (Houston) came on to relieve Schneider with nobody out in the inning and runners on first and second base. Villarreal was able to roll a double play ball to give him a chance to get out of the inning with the lead still intact. However, the next hitter scorched one to the right center gap. Tanner Thomas gave a leaping attempt, but couldn’t quite bring it down. The score was tied after 4 complete at 3-3.
In the 5th, the TomSox jumped right back on it. After getting the first out, Villarreal hit 2 batters and walked another to load the bases. One run was brought in on a slow roller to second base, moving runners to second and third with 2 outs. The TomSox took advantage of having runners in scoring position with a 2 out, 2 RBI single to push the score to 6-3 after 5 innings.
The Generals would make a small comeback attempt in the top of the 8th inning with 3 straight 2 out singles by Alex Brait, Tyler Trovinger (Oakland), and Jackson Webb. Webb’s was enough to bring in Brait to cut into the lead 6-4. The Generals left Trovinger stranded on third base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, the TomSox were able to do something no team has been able to do this year. They were able to get a hit and a couple runs off of closer Gio Soto (FIU). After all the dust settled in the bottom half of the inning, the TomSox lead 8-4. The top of the 9th proved to be unfruitful for the Gens and that score proved to be the final.
Key Performers for Charlottesville:
- Brett Centracchio: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R
- Nick DiPonzio: 2-2, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R
- Cameron Weinberger: W (3-0), 3.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 2-5, 2B, RBI, R, SB
- Tanner Thomas (Virginia Tech): 2-5, RBI
- Jackson Webb (UCF): 2-3, 2 RBI, SB
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 2-4, 2B, SB, R
- Alex Brait (FGCU): 2-4, 2B, R
- Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The Generals will look to snap out of this cold stretch with a home game against the Harrisonburg Turks at Kate Collins Field.
Generals Late Comeback Attempt Falls Short Against TomSox
The south division leading Charlottesville TomSox came into Kate Collins field riding an 8-2 record in their last 10 games. They didn’t waste much time getting on the board.
Both the Generals and TomSox played some sloppy defense Monday, combining for 7 errors throughout the night. The TomSox took advantage of the errors made by the Gens. All 5 of their runs were unearned. Nick Parr (Oakland) was the starter in the ball game for Waynesboro and pitched well. He did a nice job pitching out of a few jams and the runs came from multiple error innings.
In the top of the second, the first hitter reached on an error by the shortstop that moved the hitter to second on the throw. After a softly hit infield single, the runner scored on a fielder’s choice. Parr got out of the inning by getting a double play on the next hitter.
The Gens would answer in the bottom of the 4th after Chase Cheek (Duke) started the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error. Two batters later, Alex Webb (Chipola) would bring Cheek home with a single to tie the score at 1.
The seventh inning is where things came unglued. Nick Parr was still working along nicely. He had given up one unearned run on 5 hits and had struck out 2 through 6 full innings of work. The 7th began with another error. The next two hitters singled on a bloop to right and a “ground ball with eyes” through to center to bring home the first run. After a strikeout, Parr would give up a single to right field but would record an out after the runner from first took too big of a round at second base. That would be the end of Parr’s night. He was responsible for runners on first and third base, but with 2 outs and an error in the inning, the runs that would eventually score weren’t earned. After Parr left, another error and a bases clearing double would move the score to 5-1 in favor of the TomSox.
The Generals did make a comeback attempt in the 9th. With a leadoff walk and an error by the first baseman, Chase Cheek hit a one-out double down the left field line to score one, put runners on second and third, and brought the tying run to the plate. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) followed up Cheek by hitting a ball that seemed destined for the gap, but a nice running catch by the TomSox left fielder made it a sacrifice fly. The score is now 5-3 with a runner on second and the tying run at the plate. Alex Webb was at the plate and got down in the count 0-2 right off the bat, and wasn’t able to recover. He struck out swinging to end the ball game.
Key Performers for Charlottesville:
- Alex Mardiney: 3-4, R
- Will Allocca: 2-4, R
- Brandon Reitz: W (3-0), 4 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Nick Parr (Oakland): L (1-1), 6.2 IP, 4 R, 0 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 2-5, 2B, RBI, R
- Dalton Wingo (UCF): 3-4, 2B
The Generals were rained out against the same Charlottesville TomSox Tuesday Night. Their next ball game will be at Staunton on Wednesday night.
Rain Showers and Flooding Wreak Havoc on Generals Schedule
The storms that have run through the Shenandoah Valley have put a hold on the Valley Baseball League games. A few teams have completed at least one game, while others haven’t been so lucky.
The Generals were able to get their opening night game against Covington in on Friday, June 1st. Since then, they have had three games postponed. Saturday was supposed to be their home opener vs. Charlottesville, but Mother Nature had other plans. Sunday’s game at New Market and Monday’s game at home against Strasburg have both been moved to other dates, as well.
The official make-up dates are as follows:
- Friday, June 2nd vs. Charlottesville is now Monday, June 18th.
- Sunday, June 3rd @ New Market is now Wednesday, June 13th.
- Monday, June 4th vs. Strasburg is now Wednesday, June 6th
With these make-up dates, the Generals are now slated to play a grueling 16 days in a row, starting tomorrow night at Winchester.
The much-anticipated home opener for the Generals will be Wednesday, June 6th vs. Strasburg at Kate Collins Field. The players, coaches, and staff of the Gens are all ready to start playing baseball, and hope to see a great crowd Wednesday night at 7 pm.
