Generals Get Back to Winning Ways On the Road In Harrisonburg
In the final game before the All-Star Break, the Gens faced an important “swing game” for their record. If the Gens won, they’d have a record above .500. If they lost, they would have a record of below .500. The Generals would win the ball game to make it 5 wins in their last 6 opportunities.
The Generals would get on the scoreboard in the very first frame and would never relinquish the lead after that. It started when Chase Cheek (Duke) drew a 1-out walk. He eventually stole second base with 2 outs in the inning to put himself into scoring position. Alex Brait (Florida Gulf Coast) would bring home Cheek with an opposite field double to move the score to 1-0.
The Gens would not score in the second, but they would tack on a run in both the 3rd and 4th innings. In the second inning, the run would be scored after the first two hitters of the inning. Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary) would walk to start the inning. He would steal second base and eventually score on a single by Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss). In the 4th inning the Generals would once again start things off with a walk. Jackson Webb (Central Florida) would walk. After the steals of second and third on consecutive pitches by Webb, it drew in the infield for Harrisonburg. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) would hit a grounder to the shortstop. When Webb bluffed a few steps, it pressured the shortstop to charge the ball to try and prevent him from scoring. However the ball caromed off his glove into left field. The score after 4 innings was 3-0 in favor of the Generals.
Evan Gillespie (Faulkner) was impressive on the mound. He went 3.2 innings without surrendering a hit to start the game. He had worked 4 shutout innings when he came to a bump in the road in the 5th inning. The Turks would score 2 off of him to tighten the score to 3-2. 2 runners would be on for Harrisonburg with two away in the inning when the newest Turk, Orynn Veillon, drilled a triple into the right centerfield gap. Gillespie would retire the next batter and end his day after 5 stellar innings.
The Generals would answer right back with a run to provide the Waynesboro bullpen with a little more breathing room. It began with a 1-out double by Dalton Wingo (Central Florida). Andrew Orzel would single to drive in his second run of the night to make the game 4-2. The Gens would then turn to Fred Villarreal (Houston) for middle relief and he wouldn’t disappoint. He threw 3 innings, gave up 3 hits, but no runs and struck out 4. He would hand it over to Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee) for the ninth. Harper-Cook would continue to pitch well and would lock down the save.
Key Performers for Harrisonburg:
- Orynn Veillon: 2-3, 3B, BB, 2 RBI
- Andrew Llewellyn: 2-4
- Cam Irvine: 2-4, 2B
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Evan Gillespie (Faulkner): W (2-0), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
- Fred Villarreal (Houston): 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
- Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee): SV (1), 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 2-5, RBI
The Generals (14-13) will fire things back up after the All-Star Game this weekend. They’ll start with Woodstock on the road on Monday. Graham Ashcraft (Mississippi State) will be on the hill.
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.
Gens Bust Out 20 Hits In Win Over New Market
In a truly impressive display, the Generals brought in 18 runs to take down New Market. The Gens scored in every inning but the 2nd and the 9th and were able to knock in a season-high 8 runs in an inning.
In the very first inning, Chase Cheek (Duke) hit a one-out triple to get things started. However, he was thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat for the second out. The Gens looked as if they may not score after a triple, but Alex Webb (Chipola) had other ideas. He sent a double deep into the left centerfield gap to bring the runner around from 1st.
The Rebels would quickly answer. In the bottom of the first, the Rebels started the game with 3 straight singles to bring home a run. Nick Parr (Oakland), the starter for the Generals, did a nice job at working out of the inning when he got a New Market hitter to roll into a double play. The score after 1 inning was tied 1-1.
Neither team scored in the second inning, but both did in the third. Chase Cheek started things again for the Generals. He would drop a bunt single with one out in the inning. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) followed him up with another single, but when the throw came into the cutoff man, they would try and throw Orzel out at second. Fortunately, the cutoff man’s throw was airmailed, allowing Cheek to score.
In the bottom of the third, the Rebels would take their first lead in the game by putting up 2 runs. After a leadoff single, the Rebel’s leading hitter Andrew Eyster drilled a homer to straight away left field to put the Rebs in front 3-2.
The Generals would eventually score 3 in the top of the 4th to take the lead for good. When Jackson Webb (UCF) was hit by a pitch, he got aggressive on the base paths to make New Market pay. He stole 2nd and then 3rd in the same at bat. Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St.) would single after a long battle to bring in the tying run. 2 batters later, Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) singled to right to allow Teramoto to get to third. Chase Cheek came up big once again during a night to remember for the Duke representative, with a double into right center field that brought in both Teramoto and Montenegro. The lead for the Gens was now 5-3.
New Market wouldn’t go away quite yet with a run in the bottom of the 4th to inch a bit closer. After a one out single, things started happening quickly. An error was made at third base on a potential double play ball. That was followed with another hit from Andrew Eyster to drive in yet another run. Parr would eventually work himself out of that jam too. The score at this point in time was 5-4 in favor of Waynesboro.
The Gens scored again in the 5th inning. After 2 quick outs, Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) would hit an infield single, but would be moved to second base after an errant attempt by the shortstop. Jackson Webb would come up with a double down the left field line to score Bielo and make it 6-4 Generals.
Nick Parr would start to settle in and would throw a clean 5th and 6th frames while his offense just kept scoring. Bruno Teramoto would work his way to first base on what was scored an error out right. Generals fans thought it should have been scored an infield single with a throwing error to move him to second base. Joe Bellini (Cincinnati) would double directly after that to bring in Bruno. Gabe Montenegro would sacrifice Bellini to third for the red hot Chase Cheek. He wouldn’t disappoint. Another at bat for Cheek, another RBI double for Cheek. Andrew Orzel would make his way to first after an error by the third baseman to put runners on the corners. The Gens would score yet again in the inning when Orzel stole second and the catcher’s throw skipped into center. The score was now 9-4.
After the clean bottom of the 6th, the Generals would score yet again in the 7th. Tyler Bielamowicz would start things out in the inning with a walk. He would steal second base in the next at bat. After a strikeout, Bielo would steal third base as well. From there, Bruno Teramoto would drive him in with a single to give the Gens double digit runs.
The 8th inning is officially when the game got out of hand. The Gens already had a 6 run lead when they tacked on 8 in the top of the 8th. The first 8 batters of the inning all reached base safely before the Rebels finally recorded an out. But it didn’t stop after an out was recorded. Newly entered into the game Dylan Cloonan (Miami) got in on the fun by singling to right field for another RBI. By this time, it was very station to station on the basepaths for the Gens. Andrew Orzel hit an RBI single in the same spot as Cloonan. Alex Webb worked a bases loaded walk for an RBI. Finally, the last two batters of the inning were put away via the punchout. The score after the inning was now 18-4.
New Market would show some late fight and put up 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th to bring the score to what would ultimately be the final score of 18-7.
Key Performers for New Market:
- Andrew Eyster: 5-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI
- Kobe Lopez: 3-5, 3 R, 1 RBI
- Austin Bogart: 2-5
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 5-5, 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R
- Andrew Orzel (Wofford): 2-5, SB, 1 RBI, 2 R
- Alex Webb (Chipola): 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R
- Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St.): 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R
- Nick Parr (Oakland): W (2-1), 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
The Gens will look for their 4th straight win Wednesday night on the road in Charlottesville on an Independence Day matchup with the TomSox at 6 PM.
Gens Outlast Turks In Walk-Off Fashion
After what turned into a little bit of a chippy affair between the Generals and Turks, Alex Brait (FGCU) delivered a walk-off single to get the last laugh over the Turks.
Both starting pitchers had their good stuff working for the first half of the game on Monday night. Jake Brace for the Turks was the first to be cracked, while Nathan Schneider (St. Mary’s) was a bit more masterful in what was originally a pitcher’s dual. Schneider actually worked the first 4.2 innings in perfect fashion until he gave up back-to-back singles with 2 away in the inning. He was able to keep the shut-out in tact by stopping the threat there with one of his seven punch outs on the night.
In the bottom of the 5th, the Gens drew first blood by starting a rally with 2 outs in the inning. Joe Bellini (Cincinnati) started things off with his first hit of the summer since joining the Gens only 2 games prior to Monday night. The hit was a double down the right field line to get him into scoring position for the top of the lineup and the hot-hitting, Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss). Montenegro was able to hit one into the hole at shortstop, but it was fielded cleanly by the Turks. However, the long and off-balance throw across the diamond was a bit wide of the mark. This errant throw allowed Bellini to score from second on an infield single. The Gens kept the line moving on a single to right by Chase Cheek (Duke) that brought Montenegro to third for Andrew Orzel (Wofford). Orzel promptly singled for the Generals 4th straight hit in the inning to score Montenegro. The Generals now had a 2 run lead for Nathan Schneider.
In the 6th is where the in-game drama began. A 1-out single started the inning for the Turks. The runner then moved up to second on a pickoff attempt that trickled into the dugout. After Schneider got another Turk to go down swinging for out number 2, he gave up an infield single to Zach Little. Runners were now on the corners for Paul Castillo, the cleanup hitter for Harrisonburg. After a 2-0 pitch caught the corner, Schneider called his catcher Alex Brait (FGCU) out to the mound. Nate had noticed that the hitter Castillo was peaking at Brait’s pitch calling signs. When Brait confronted Castillo, things got a bit heated. Brait and Castillo had to be separated, and both coaches came out to calm their players down. Once things got settled down, the very next pitch to Castillo was hit into left field for an RBI single. When Castillo got too big of a round of first, he got caught in a run down that allowed Little to score on a single from 1st base to tie the game at 2.
The Generals would bounce right back, but the chippyness continued. Jackson Webb (UCF) started the hitting with a 1-out infield single. Tyler Trovinger (Oakland) then drilled another single to center to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Bellini would come up with his second hit to make it 3 straight singles, but this time, the centerfielder botched the ground ball rolling towards him to allow both runs to score and Bellini to move up to second. Gabe Montenegro then worked a walk off of the new pitcher Connor Roberts. With men on 1st and 2nd, Chase Cheek ripped a single to right that scored Bellini and moved Montenegro to 3rd. During Andrew Orzel’s at-bat, Cheek stole second to open up a base. After Orzel struck out, the next hitter was Alex Brait. It all seemed to be a perfect storm for Harrisonburg. The player that confronted a Turk was at the plate with a base open and 2 outs in the inning. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, Alex Brait was hit by a fastball. Home plate umpire Mike Mackey immediately ejected Roberts for what looked to be an intentional bean ball. With all this told, the Generals had scored 3 runs to put themselves on top, 5-2.
After a clean 7th by both teams, Schneider would be back on the mound to try for his 8th inning of work. After a lead-off walk in the inning, the Gens would turn to Hunter Shuff (USC Aiken) to try and strand Schneider’s runner. Unfortunately, Shuff had some issues. He walked the first batter he saw to put runners on 1st and 2nd and then gave up a single to load the bases. He was able to get an out on a fielder’s choice, but a run scored. The score was now 5-3 with runners on the corner and 1 out. Shuff then walked the next hitter to load the bases again. Luke Nussman got another run in on a sac fly, but there were now 2 outs and runners at first and second. Elian Merejo came up huge with a sharply hit single to right field that was able to score Little on a close play at the plate. The score was now tied after the Turks had their chance to hit in the 8th.
In the bottom half of the 8th, it looked like the Gens were destined to score when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Harrisonburg turned to Cade Bullinger to try and get them out of a tough mess. He did just that with a strikeout, a pop-up in the infield, and a ground ball to third base to not allow a run. Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee) came on to try and hold off the Turks to give his offense a chance to win it in a walk-off. He did just that by working 2 perfect innings in the top of the 9th and 10th.
In the 10th the Generals would have to try and figure out Bullinger, who was looking dominant. But after the lead-off double by Gabe Montenegro down the left field line, Bullinger’s job would become much tougher. Cheek was the next batter and successfully sacrificed himself to move Gabe to 3rd. The Turks chose to intentionally walk Andrew Orzel to get to the controversial figurehead of the night, Alex Brait. On a 1-2 count, Brait was able to put good wood onto a fastball to single to left to end the ball game. The Generals had walked it off in the 10th to win 6-5 for their second straight win.
Key Performers for Harrisonburg:
- Elian Merejo: 3-4, 2B, RBI
- Zach Little: 1-5, SB, RBI, 2 R
- Cade Bullinger: L (0-1), 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 IBB, 3 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Alex Brait (FGCU): 3-5, Walk-Off RBI
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 3-5, 2B, SB, RBI
- Nate Schneider (St. Mary’s): ND, 7+ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
- Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee): W (2-0), 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 3-5, 2B, 2 R
The Generals (11-12) will try to get back to the .500 mark with their game at Rebel Park Tuesday night when they take on New Market. The game is slated for 7:30. A win would make 3 in a row for the Generals.
Royals Surge In Late Innings To Post Comeback Win Over Gens
The Generals were up 4-1 after 6 complete innings and seemed to be in control. However, the Royals were able to get to General starting pitcher Evan Gillespie (Faulkner) to tie the game, and eventually go on to win.
In the very first inning, the Royals were able to score on a fielder’s choice ground out. Gillespie did a nice job limiting them to 1 run. In the bottom of the first, Winchester got the first two hitters out to start the inning. However after Chase Cheek (Duke) was hit by a pitch, he stole second and moved up to third on an errant throw. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) was able to single through the left side to bring in Cheek. After 1 complete inning, the score was tied 1-1.
In the bottom of the second, the Gens put up 3 runs all with 2 outs. Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) singled to center to bring in 2 runs and to continue his hot streak. After a Royal error that moved Gabe to third, Chase Cheek singled to right field for the third run of the inning. The score was 4-1 and would stay that way until the 7th.
In the 7th inning, Winchester started with a lead off single. Gillespie was still in the game and had been mostly dominant after the rocky start. After a strikeout, the Royals added another single to bring the tying run to the plate. Gillespie was able to get another strikeout for the second out of the inning and all signs pointed to him getting out of the inning. Jordan Huntley from Winchester had been seeing the ball well, but Gillespie had him in a 1-2 count. But when Gillespie hung his changeup, Huntley deposited it over the left field fence to tie the game in the top of the 7th.
The Gens had no answers for Winchester’s bullpen in the 7th, 8th, and 9th. The Royals, on the other hand, would tack runs on in the 8th and 9th innings to provide insurance. In the 8th, the Royals scored 3 on 2 hits, 2 walks, a wild pitch and a General error. In the 9th, they tacked on one more for good measure by way of the sacrifice fly. That would bring the game to its final score of 8-4.
Key Performers for Winchester:
- Jordan Huntley: 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, SB, BB, R
- Samyr Santos: 3-5, RBI, 2 R
- Trent Sidwell: SV (2), 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 2-5, SB, 2 RBI
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 1-3, BB, 2 SB, RBI, R
- Evan Gillespie (Faulkner): ND, 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
The Generals will look to bounce back Saturday night at home vs. the Staunton Braves.
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
Comeback Victory Over Harrisonburg Snaps 3-Game Skid
The Waynesboro Generals found themselves in familiar territory Tuesday night at Kate Collins Field. Through 3 and ½ innings, the Gens had the same amount of hits, but were trailing on the scoreboard 3-0. But this time things proved to be a good kind of different as the game went on.
Harrisonburg had scored two in the top of the second after Nick Parr (Oakland) had recorded the first two outs of the inning. The Turks came up with a single to right, a walk, an RBI single, and then the sacrifice the runner on first play came into effect. There were runners on first and third. The runner from first steals second. When the throw from the catcher goes to second base, the runner from first stops in his tracks. This allows time for the runner on third to attempt a steal of home. In this case, it worked successfully for Harrisonburg. After the steal of home, the score was 2-0 in favor of Harrisonburg.
The Turks would score their 3rd unanswered run in the top of the 4th after once again recording the first two outs of the inning. A 2-out hit-by-pitch, a walk, and an RBI single was enough for the Turks to make the score 3-0.
The Gens had been hitting just as much as the Turks, but hadn’t gotten the key hit…. Until the bottom of the 4th. Dalton Wingo (UCF) started things off with a double to right center. Alex Brait (FGCU) drilled a triple into the right center gap right after. Two pitches later and Tyler Trovinger (Oakland) hit an RBI groundout to bring in Brait and tighten the score to 3-2.
In the middle innings, things got a little quiet with 4 half innings in a row of no scoring. In the top of the 7th, the Turks were able to lengthen their lead to 4-2 on the strength of back-to-back singles by Austin Embler and Zach Little, followed by another single by Elian Merejo.
However in the bottom of the 7th, the Gens were able to put together one of their most impressive innings all year. It started with a 1-out single by Jackson Webb (UCF) followed by another single by Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston). During the next at-bat, the Gens performed a double steal with Webb and Bielo. Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary) hit the ball to the shortstop to bring in Webb and move Bielo to third with the score now sitting at 4-3. The Gens would turn to Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) for the big two-out hit that they had been searching for what felt like all year. On a 1-0 count, Montenegro scorched a single into centerfield to tie the score at 4. The Gens weren’t quite finished yet. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) talked about his prior at-bat in an interview after the game. He said the pitcher threw him a fastball in a good spot to hit, but he was late. He vowed that if he threw him another pitch like that, he would make him pay for it. He did just that on the first pitch of the at-bat. Orzel unloaded on an absolute no-doubter to deep left field to take the lead in the bottom of the 7th 6-4.
A leadoff walk in the top of the 8th would come around to score on 3 wild pitches and would make things a little more interesting. Starting the top of the 9th, the score was 6-5 and Pat O’Shea (St Mary’s) was on for the save. After getting the first 2 Turks out, he allowed a two out single and a walk to put the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first. Fortunately for the Gens, he got a ground ball to second base to pick up his first save of the year. The win helped Waynesboro snap a 3 game skid.
Key Performers for Harrisonburg:
- Caleb Walls: 2-4
- Austin Embler: 2-5
- Zach Little: 3-5
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Andrew Orzel (Wofford): 3-4, 2B, Go-Ahead 2-R Homer
- Dalton Wingo (UCF): 2-4, 2 2B, R
- Jackson Webb (UCF): 2-3, R
- Pat O’Shea (St Mary’s): SV (1), 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 1 K
The Gens will look to build on Tuesday night’s victory when the Charlottesville TomSox come to town Wednesday night 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.
