Gens Score Five In Ninth to Tie and Win In Extras
After the Generals and River Bandits combined for 30 runs in their last contest, they were at it again as they combined for 29 runs in a thrilling comeback for the Gens.
The game started on an outrageous offensive pace. The River Bandits scored two in the top of the first to take an early lead. After a one-out double, Andrew Puglielli hammered a home run over the left field fence for his first long ball of the summer. The River Bandits lead 2-0 going into the bottom of the first.
The Generals would storm right back to take the lead with three runs in the bottom half of the first. Seth Cannady (Florida International) started things with an infield single. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) added to his team lead in RBI with a double into the right center field gap that brought Cannady all the way around to score. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) sent a high fly ball out towards right that ended up dropping. It put runners at second and third because Wes could only advance one base after having to hold up. Clarke would score a few seconds later when the River Bandits starter balked him in and Lopez to third. Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) delivered the last run of the first inning with an infield single. The score after one inning was 3-2.
The River Bandits responded in the top of the second inning. A lead-off walk got things started. After an error put runners at first and second, a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. A deep sacrifice fly to right field brought a run in and moved the runner at second to third. Tomas Sanchez, who had a stellar day at the plate, singled to bring in the second run to give the River Bandits the lead 4-3.
In the top of the third, things got a bit ugly for the Generals. The River Bandits batted sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to break things open. Four of the first five batters resulted in walks from the General pitching staff who, normally, is pretty stingy at handing out free passes. The fourth walk brought in the first run with one out in the inning. Then the Gens got a sacrifice fly for the second out of the inning with only two runs in. It looked like they may have been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the River Bandits cranked out five straight hits with two outs in the inning to get those runs in. The single by Escala brought in two runs, a Sanchez single brought in Escala after he stole second, Puglielli drove in Sanchez after he stole second, Lockhart doubled to right center to put runners at second and third, and Caleb Ward singled to bring in the seventh and final run of the inning. The score read 11-3 after two and a half innings.
The Generals had a choice to make. They could have either packed it in and lived to see another day, or they could start their comeback with a couple of runs in each inning to try and claw their way back in. That choice was made very clear with Kobe Lopez starting off the bottom of the third. He ripped a double down the left field line to get things going. The next batter grounded out to third, but heads up base running from Lopez put him at third with one out. The next batter hit a sharp ground ball at the third baseman who booted the ball to allow Lopez to come in and score as well as the runner to get to second. Jackson Tate (Alabama) singled by another sharp ground ball that just got past the third baseman again. This put runners at the corners. Santi Garcia (Alabama State) continued the target practice on the third baseman with another sharp ground ball that the diving third baseman was only able to get a glove on. This brought in another run for the Generals. Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) singled to center to drive in another run and put runners at the corners. And after a walk to load the bases, the Generals were unable to bring any more runs in. The score after three complete innings was 11-6.
A fourth inning Bryson Worrell home run to deep right center field continued the journey back for the Gens. They had just done a nice job in the top of the fourth at putting up their first zero, and Worrell pulled them just a bit closer with his second homer of the season. The score was now 11-7.
The River Bandits didn’t allow this comeback attempt without putting up a fight of their own. They scored three runs in the next two offensive frames. The score in the fifth came on a wild pitch to move the runners into position, and a passed ball to allow the runner to score. The two runs in the top of the sixth both came with two out in the inning. A single started things with one out. Another single down the right field line put the River Bandits in good shape, but when the runner tried stretching the single into a double, Bryson Worrell delivered a laser beam from right to put out the runner. The Generals had two outs with a runner on third. A two out walk to the lead-off hitter Willie Escala would prove to be costly. A double off the bat of Tomas Sanchez brought in both runners. The score now read 14-7 in favor of the River Bandits.
The Generals were faced with that same question of whether to pack it in, or make a come back late in the ball game. And again, the Generals had a quick answer to that question. Wes Clarke doubled to lead off the inning. Kobe Lopez walked to put runners at first and second. A fielder’s choice put runners at the corners, but not for long. Worrell would steal second base to put both runners in scoring position. After Jackson Tate got hit by a pitch to load the bases, Connor Norby (East Carolina) singled to center field to bring in two more runs. The score after six complete read 14-9.
The score would stay that way until the bottom of the ninth. The Generals needed five runs to stay alive in the game. A triple over the right fielder’s head got things started from Connor Norby. Joey Kinker walked to put runners at the corners. A single through the left side by Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) got the scoring started. The River Bandits then got two straight outs with runners at the corners. The Generals still trailed by four runs in the ninth. Kobe Lopez got the chain back up and moving with a single to right center field to bring in Kinker. Back to back walks would bring in a run and put the tying run at second base. Jackson Tate singled to center to bring in both Lopez and Worrell to tie the game at 14. The Generals had successfully come all the way back to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with 5 runs in what could have been their final frame.
Instead, the game would go two extra innings. A lead off walk of Wes Clarke and a wild pitch soon after put a man on second base with nobody out. Kobe Lopez would drop down a bunt that turned into an infield single. Runners at the corners with nobody out. They elected to intentionally walk the next batter to give themselves a force at any base. A shallow pop fly wasn’t able to bring a run in and would give the River Bandits their first out of the inning with a double play ball capable at getting them out of the inning. The River Bandits elected to play their middle infielders back to try to turn the double play. The only problem with that was that the batter at the plate was Jackson Tate who has great speed. In order for Woodstock to turn a double play, Jackson would have to smoke a ground ball. The River Bandits got the ground ball they were looking for from Tate, but it was softly hit and took the shortstop away from second base. Tate used his great speed to beat out the throw at first by a wide margin and the Generals walked the game off in the bottom of the 11th.
Key Performers for Woodstock:
Tomas Sanchez: 4-7, 2 2B, 4 RBI, SB, 2 R
Andrew Puglielli: 3-7, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
Caleb Ward: 3-5, 2B, RBI, R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 2-6, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R
Kobe Lopez (Florida International): 4-6, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R
Connor Norby (East Carolina): 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 3-6, SB, R, 2 RBI including walk-off FC RBI
McLain Harris (Young Harris College): W (1-1), 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The Generals (11-7) will be back on the road on Wednesday night when they take on the Staunton Braves for the first time at John Moxie Stadium at Gypsy Hill Park. First pitch set for 7:30 pm.
Gens Bounce Back Against Front Royal
After only scoring two runs in their last 19 innings of play, the Generals responded with 10 runs and a victory on the road over the Front Royal Cardinals at Bing Crosby Stadium.
The Gens jumped out to an early lead with four runs in the second inning. Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) battled his way on first with a lead off walk. Two batters later Jackson Tate (Alabama) sent a 1-0 pitch over the scoreboard in left center field with an absolute moonshot. It was high enough and long enough for Jackson’s second homer of the summer. Waynesboro wasn’t done there. Santiago Garcia (Alabama State) was hit with the very next pitch. After being moved to second base on a ground out, Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) joined Garcia on base by drawing a walk. This brought Seth Cannady (Florida International) to the plate. He drilled a single to left field in a situation that looked like would load the bases. However, the ball was hit so hard that it caromed off the left fielder to allow Garcia to score, Proffitt to go to third, and Cannady to motor in to second base. Proffitt scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch to put the fourth run of the inning on the board for the Generals. Going to the bottom of the second, the Generals led 4-0.
The Cardinals would respond right away. Tre Dabney was hit with the very first pitch of the inning to make his way down to first. After a wild pitch moved him to second, he would come around to score on a swinging bunt and a subsequent error by the Generals pitcher. It also allowed the hitter Baggett to get all the way to third base. Baggett then scored on a sacrifice fly to center field to make the score 4-2. After a two out walk, the Cardinals scored again on a double by Mason Nadeau. The score after two complete innings was 4-3 in favor of the Generals.
In the third inning, the Generals would get things started off of an error made by the Cardinals third baseman with one out in the inning. After a strikeout, back-to-back walks to Santiago Garcia and Connor Norby (East Carolina) loaded the bases with two outs. Christian Proffitt drove in a run the easy way by drawing a bases loaded walk. The score after 3 complete innings had the Gens on top 5-3.
A stellar relief appearance by Luke Short (St. Mary’s) kept the Cardinals at bay and allowed the Gens to open up their lead a bit. Short picked up his first win of the summer by going four innings, scattering two hits and two walks, and also picking up six strikeouts. The score was 4-3 when he came in. When he left, the score was 10-3.
In the sixth, Wes Clarke (South Carolina) was hit with a pitch to put a runner on first base with two outs in the inning. Wes moved to second base thanks to some awesome base running decisions. He read a ball in the dirt and took off for second immediately to allow himself to slide in safely at second base. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) drilled a single to center to drive in Clarke. The score after six complete read Waynesboro 6- Cardinals 3.
In the seventh, the Gens broke it open a bit with four more runs. Jackson Tate worked his way on with a walk. Santiago Garcia then sent one to the warning track for what should have been ruled a hit. Unfortunately for Santi, they ruled it an error on the left fielder. Runners ended up at the corners with nobody out. Connor Norby delivered a sharply hit single to centerfield to allow Jackson Tate to score. Once reaching second base, Garcia was pinch run for by Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s). On a single by Christian Proffitt, Murphy was thrown out trying to score for out number one. After a fly out gave the Cardinals their second out, Christian Proffitt stole second base. He, along with Connor Norby, was brought in on the very next pitch by Wes Clarke. Clarke moved in to second base on the throw that tried to get Proffitt at the plate. Clarke moved up to third on a wild pitch. That made it a little easier to score on Kobe Lopez’s second RBI single of the night. That got the score to 10-3.
The Cards would get a rally going in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to make things a bit interesting. They scored 3 runs in the final two frames, but Alex Tyson (Valdosta State) would come in to clean up the mess. The final score was 10-6.
Key Performers for Front Royal:
David Willis: 2-4, HR
Phineas Pratt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Peter Schuldt: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Kobe Lopez (Florida International): 2-6, 2 RBI
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R
Luke Short (St. Mary’s): W (1-0), 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast): 1-3, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI
The Generals (10-7) will be back in action on Monday night in a make-up game with the Covington Lumberjacks. The Generals will play their third game in a row on the road. First pitch is set for 7 pm at Casey Field.
Double Plays and Pitching Key In Generals Win
The Generals moved to 2-0 vs their cross-town rival Staunton Braves thanks to three double plays and more great pitching.
Bailey Wimberley (Memphis) was the starter in the game for the Generals. Wimberley said after the game that he didn’t have his best stuff, but was good enough to get key outs in key situations. It started in the very first inning. After getting the first batter of the game out, the Braves hit back to back singles to put runners at the corners with just one away. Wimberley was able to induce his first double play ball on Logan Worley who grounded into the 6-4-3 double play.
In the next inning, Staunton would get their leadoff hitter on with a single. This is where Wimberley induced his second double play ball, a carbon copy of the one in the first. Another 6-4-3 double play to delete a lead-off base runner.
In the third, Wimberley would run into some more trouble. This time, the Braves were able to capitalize on their runners in scoring position. Colin Brophy started things with a double to start the top of the third. He was then bunted to third base with one out. Kent Rooklin worked a walk to put runners on the corners and in the back of Wimberley’s mind, he thought about maybe getting that third straight inning with a double play ball. Instead he would strike out the Staunton hitter to give the Generals two outs in the inning. Coach Zac Cole then decided to intentionally walk Andrew Czech, the league leader in RBI by a large margin. However in doing so, this put two runners in scoring position for Logan Worley. Worley would take advantage and drill a single up the middle to bring in two runs. After three complete innings, the Braves led 2-0.
Finally in the bottom of the fourth, the General bats came alive. It all started with one out in the inning and Jackson Tate (Alabama) at the plate. Jackson singled and was followed up by a Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) double down the right field line to put runners at second and third. Jackson Greene (Florida State) then delivered the big blow in the ball game by slicing a triple down the right field line to tie the game up at two, while also putting himself at third base with just one out. Brad Burckel (Houston) would continue the hit train by laying down a safety squeeze and beating out the throw to first for an RBI bunt single. From there, the inning would sputter, but the Generals had taken the lead 3-2.
Bailey Wimberley finished his night after back-to-back quick innings. Wimberley needed just 16 pitches to get through the 4th and 5th innings to make himself eligible for the win. For the sixth inning, the Generals turned to Zach Blankenship (Valdosta St) in a hold situation. He was stellar in his two innings, allowing two hits, no runs, striking out two, and inducing the third double play ball of the game for the Generals. Another 6-4-3 double play ended the seventh inning as well as Blankenship’s outing.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Generals gave themselves just a bit more breathing room. The rally began with a two out walk to Wes Clarke (South Carolina) who walked three times in the game. Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) then came to the plate and drilled a triple off the centerfield wall to bring Clarke in from first. The score after seven innings was 4-2 in favor of Waynesboro.
The Generals didn’t stop there. After a good eighth inning thrown by Matt Mercer (East Tennessee State), the Gens responded with another run in the bottom half. Jack Murphy delivered his third hit of the game to lead off the inning. Jackson Greene pushed him to second on a walk. After an infield fly, Kobe Lopez (Florida International) singled to centerfield to load the bases. Seth Cannady (Florida International) followed it up with a sharp single past the drawn in infielder’s to drive in the fifth run of the game for the Generals. The lead going to the ninth inning was 5-2.
Matt Mercer jogged back out for his second inning of work to try to pick up the six-out save. He had already struck out the side in the eighth when he started the ninth with a strikeout. After that, two weak pop ups in the infield were enough to slam the door shut and to pick up his first save of the season.
Key Performers for Staunton:
Andrew Czech: 2-3, BB
Logan Worley: 1-4, 2 RBI
Duncan Pastore: 2-4, 2B
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Bailey Wimberley (Memphis): W (1-1), 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Zach Blankenship (Valdosta State): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Matt Mercer (East Tennessee State): SV (1), 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s): 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R
Jackson Greene (Florida State): 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Seth Cannady (Florida International): 2-3, RBI
Bryson Worrell (East Carolina): 2-4, 3B, RBI
The Generals (9-5) will be back in action Friday night when they welcome the Charlottesville Tom Sox to Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field. First pitch is set for 7 pm.
Gens Take Down Cannons In Rain-Shortened Game
The Generals trailed on the road at Fireman’s Field in the early going, but once they took the lead in the fourth inning, there was no looking back.
Tyler Shuck (Florida Gulf Coast) started the ball game for the Generals on the mound, and after giving up a first inning run, he was lights out. Singles by Michael Brewer, Bradley Riopelle, and Jose Gutierrez were cause for the run in the bottom of the first. After that inning, the Cannons were never able to bring more than four hitters to the plate, had just one runner reach second base, and also never had a runner reach third. He would finish his five innings allowing five hits, one run, one walk, and he struck out five while picking up his first win of the season.
The pitching staff as a whole was solid once again. Jan Figueroa (Florida International) came in for two innings of relief and kept the Cannons scoreless. He allowed two hits, no runs, no walks, and he struck out one. With the rain setting in, seven innings would be all that the Generals staff would need to complete.
On the offensive side of things, the Gens would churn out runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings to pull away from Purcellville.
In the third, the Generals would do all their damage with two outs in the innings. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) doubled down the left field line, just dropping in front of the diving left fielder for the Cannons. Seth Cannady (Florida International) followed up one extra base hit with one of his own. He would drill a triple into the right centerfield gap and later score on a wild pitch to take the lead after three innings. The score rested at 2-1 for just one half inning.
The Generals would jump right back on the bats in the fourth. Back-to-back singles by Jackson Tate (Alabama) and Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) would put runners at first and third. Tate would come into score on a passed ball to make the score 3-1. Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) walked to put runners at first and second. A fielder’s choice on the next hitter kept runners at first and second, but Murphy was put out at third. After a pitching change, Kobe Lopez would come up big yet again for the Generals with a hit down the left field line. It would score Kinker, but Kobe was thrown out at second trying to stretch the single into a double. The inning wouldn’t stop there. Seth Cannady got hit by a pitch and later stole second to get runners at second and third. After a walk to Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U), Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would drive a run in the hard way. He took a ball right off the elbow for a bases loaded hit-by-pitch. The RBI would mark his team-leading 11th of the summer. After another pitching change, Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) would single to bring Cannady in to score and tally their fourth run of the inning to make the score 6-1 after four innings.
The Generals would tack on another run in the sixth inning after yet another two out hit. Seth Cannady would start things off with a leadoff single. Wes Clarke would also single two batters later to put runners at first and second. After out number two was recorded via the strikeout, Jackson Tate came up with his second hit of the evening. This time it was a hustle double to right field to bring in Cannady. The score stood at 7-1 after seven innings of play.
In the eighth, the rain started to fall while the Generals were at-bat. Unfortunately, due to the rules in place, since the Gens didn’t finish their half of the inning, the score reverts back to 7-1. The Gens had put up two runs courtesy of a Bryson Worrell homer after a Wes Clarke single. Jack Murphy also had a double erased from his record. That would have made Jack 3-4 on the night, but will instead have to settle for a solid 2-3. A bit unlucky, but a good win for the Generals.
Key Performers for Purcellville:
Michael Brewer: 2-3, R
Kyle Hayes: 2-3
Jose Gutierrez: 1-3, RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s): 2-3, BB
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Seth Cannady (Florida International): 2-3, 3B, RBI, 3 R, SB
Kobe Lopez (Florida International): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Jan Figueroa (Florida International): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Tyler Shuck (Florida Gulf Coast): W (1-0), 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
The Generals (7-5) are back in action Wednesday night when they travel to another North division foe, the Woodstock River Bandits. Game time is set for 7 pm at Falcon Field.
Generals Take Down Braves With Stellar Offense
The Generals exploded Saturday night for 13 runs on 15 hits to take down one of the top teams in the South Division by a score of 13-5.
The scoring didn’t start until the third inning, but once the seal was broken, runs came in bunches. The top of the third belonged to the Braves as they tallied their first run. After they loaded the bases after two singles and a walk, Eli Davis hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to get the Braves out in front.
The Generals would then bat around in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) would start things with a one-out single. His college teammate, Seth Cannady (Florida International) would also single. Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U) would hit a double down the left field line to bring in Lopez. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would follow it up with a double of his own to bring in Cannady. Jackson Tate (Alabama) would drive one deep to right for a sacrifice fly to bring in Quiceno and allow Clarke to move into third base. Santiago Garcia (Alabama St) drilled a single in to centerfield to keep the line moving. Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) would pick up his first hit in a Generals uniform and would move into second base as the centerfielder tried to throw out Garcia at third base. After a dropped third strike, all the Braves needed to do to stop the bleeding was a throw from the catcher to first base. The throw was a wild one from the catcher and that allowed Garcia to score the final run of the inning. In total, the third inning saw the Gens score five runs on six hits and a Braves error to take the lead 5-1.
The scoring would halt again until the bottom of the 6th. The Generals got back on the scoreboard in a big way. Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) would start things with a single. After a Kobe Lopez walk and a Seth Cannady single, the bases were loaded with nobody out. Elijah Quiceno would come up huge again, this time with a bases clearing double into left center. But the scoring wasn’t done there. Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) got a pinch-hit opportunity and took the most of it by smoking a sinking liner into right field. It was enough to bring in Quiceno from second base for the final run of the inning. The Generals scored four runs to make the score 9-1.
The Braves would bounce back in the top of the 7th. They scored two off of reliever Zach Blankenship (Valdosta St) after not having much success of the lefty. Ryan McCarty would start things off with a lead-off triple to left center. He would be followed up nicely by newly-inserted Chet Moore, who drilled a double to right center. Chet would later come in to score on an RBI groundout. After 7 innings, the score would sit at 9-3.
The Gens would add some much needed insurance in the bottom of the 8th. They would score four runs, mostly off of RBI bases loaded walks to get the score to 13-3. But the Braves would score 2 runs in the top of the 9th to pull the score a bit closer, but that’s all they could muster. 13-5 was the final score.
Key Performers for Staunton:
Devon Adams: 2-2, BB, R
Chet Moore: 1-2, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Kent Rooklin: 1-4, RBI, BB
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Elijah Quiceno (Gannon): 2-5, 2 2B, 5 RBI
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 3-4, 2B, RBI
Seth Cannady (Florida International): 2-5, RBI, 2 R
Santi Garcia (Alabama St): 2-3, RBI, R
Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast): 2-4, R, RBI
Bryson Worrell (East Carolina): 2-4, R, RBI
The win moved the Generals to 6-3 while the loss dropped the Braves to 9-4. The Generals will be back in action on Sunday when they welcome the New Market Rebels for a double header tomorrow afternoon starting at 4 pm at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field.
Generals Move to 4-1 With Win Over New Market
A pair of four run innings broke things open in the early going for Waynesboro and they never really looked back. The Gens managed to score in six out of their nine offensive frames.
The first four run inning came in the very first frame. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) would get things started with a walk. Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U) would follow it up with a walk of his own, and Seth Cannady (Florida International) would load the bases with an infield single with nobody out in the inning. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would get the scoring underway with an RBI single up the middle that the second baseman made a diving stab on but wasn’t able to come up with it cleanly. After a passed ball scored the second run of the inning, Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Cannady. Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) would drive in the final run of the first inning to make the score 4-0.
After a quiet couple of innings, Waynesboro would get their second four run inning in the fourth. After a strikeout, single, and a fielder’s choice, the Gens had a runner on first and two outs. Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) would single, Kobe Lopez would walk, and Elijah Quiceno would also draw a walk to bring in the first run of the inning. It also kept the bases loaded for Seth Cannady. Cannady drove one deep into the right centerfield gap to bring in all three runners to make the score 8-0 in favor of the Gens.
The outburst of runs would cause a pitching change for the Rebels, who wouldn’t completely lay down. In fact, they’d respond with a run in the bottom of the 4th inning. After a single and an error, by Brady Harju, Alvaro Valdez would drive in a run for the Rebels to make the score 8-1.
The top of the 5th came around and Waynesboro would make it 3 of the first 5 innings with runs scored. Jackson Tate (Alabama) would start things off with a 0ne-out double and a steal of third. That’s all Jackson Greene (Florida State) would need. He would hit a deep fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly to get the Generals’ lead back to eight runs.
The Rebels answered once again in the bottom of the 5th. After a leadoff single and then two quick outs, they were able to put together a nice rally. The Generals would walk a batter, hit another with a pitch, and finally give up a run on an error. Alvaro Valdez would then be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the second run of the inning. After 5 complete innings, the Generals held a 9-3 lead.
In the 6th inning, the Gens remained relentless. After two walks to lead off the inning, Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would drive in a run with another single. Later in that inning, Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) would pick up another run with an RBI groundout to shortstop. The score after 6 read 11-3.
The 7th inning would prove to be another inning with a run for the Generals. Christian Proffitt would pick up a one-out double down the right field line and would be moved to third later in the inning on a fielder’s choice. He was brought in by Seth Cannady’s second double of the ball game to make the score 12-3 in Rebel Field.
The 8th inning would mark the fifth straight inning that the Generals would score. After two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with nobody out, Jackson Greene hit his second sacrifice fly of the ball game to get the Generals to the 13-3 mark. The Rebels would add two in the bottom of the 9th to make the score a bit more respectable, but it just seemed to be the Generals’ night.
Key Performers for New Market:
Alvaro Valdez: 1-2, HBP, 2 RBI
David Smith: 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R
Ramon Machado: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Seth Cannady (Florida International): 3-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 3-5, 2 RBI, R
Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast): 3-4, 2B, 2 R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 2-4, 2B, SB
Christian Dearman (Florida International): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The Generals move to 4-1 on the season and will be back in action Friday night when they travel to Charlottesville to take on the TomSox at C-VILLE Weekly Ballpark. First pitch is set for 7 PM.
Offense Explodes for 12 Runs On 14 Hits
The Generals jumped all over Purcellville’s pitching staff tonight for 12 runs. The pitching staff for Waynesboro was equally impressive with 16 strikeouts.
After a clean top of the first, the Gens wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) led off the game with a walk, worked his way to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by the second hitter, Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast). Kinker would steal second base two pitches later and would move to third on an infield single by Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U) and then throwing error. Jackson Tate (Alabama) would ground into an RBI fielder’s choice to tack on the second run of the inning.
Purcellville would bounce back in the third inning with a run of their own. Things got started with a lead-off double by Kyle Hayes. He would be brought in to score two batters later on a single by Michael Brewer. Not to be outdone, the Generals would get the run right back in the bottom of the third. When Jackson Tate grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning, it looked as if the Gens would go quietly. However, Wes Clarke (South Carolina) hit an RBI triple to deep centerfield. That brought the score back to a 2 run cushion of 3-1.
The game remained close until the bottom of the 5th. The Generals would strike for 5 runs to blow the game open. Cole Jackson (Young Harris) would start things out with an infield single. Jackson Tate would double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Wes Clarke then singled to bring both runners in for the first 2 runs of the inning. After a fielder’s choice, a Cannons error, and a strikeout, Kobe Lopez would double off the wall in left field to bring both runners in. Kobe would score a few pitches later on a single by Joe Kinker again. The score now read 8-1.
The Generals would tack on another run in the 6th. Cole Jackson started things off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Wes Clarke walked, Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring in Cole Jackson.
The 7th inning proved to be another fruitful one for Waynesboro as they put up three more runs. Kobe Lopez would get a one-out infield single and would steal second when there was nobody around to cover the bag. Joe Kinker would reach on an error by the shortstop. Santiago Garcia (Alabama St.) stepped up in his pinch hit opportunity and drilled a two RBI single to right field after the right fielder missed the ball, allowing two runs and Garcia to get to third base. Cole Jackson would pick up his 3rd hit of the night to drive in Garcia to make the score 12-1.
The Cannons would add 3 runs in the top of the 8th, but overall, the pitching staff for the Gens was impressive as well. Eric Sapp (Gannon U) led the way with 5 strong innings where he struck out nine batters and picked up his first win of the season.
Key Performers for Purcellville:
Michael Brewer: 3-4, RBI, R
Jose Gutierrez: 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Kobe Lopez (Florida International): 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R
Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast): 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R
Cole Jackson (Young Harris): 3-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 2-3, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Eric Sapp (Gannon U): W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Dylan Nix (Young Harris): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
The Generals will take tomorrow off but will be back in action at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field on Tuesday when the Covington Lumberjacks come back to town.
Pair of Gaels Heading to Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Virginia
Saint Mary’s College will continue their long partnership with the Waynesboro Generals this summer when they send two more Gaels across country for some Valley League Baseball action. Saint Mary’s is located in Moraga, California and athletically, they compete in the West Coast Conference. The partnership has been a prosperous one for both sides, as summer ball has helped players with their development as well as helping the Generals win games. Names like Conner Loeprich, Patrick O’Shea and Nathan Schneider are names that come to mind. This year Waynesboro will welcome in Jack Murphy and Luke Short.
Jack Murphy – Outfielder
Jack Murphy is the 6’2 195 pound sophomore from Alamo, California. He is a graduate of Monte Vista High School. Jack comes to Waynesboro after playing in the West Coast League last year for the Portland Pickles, who finished with a league-best 37-17 record. Jack will look to bring his winning ways to Virginia this summer. When he comes, he’ll be looking to build on what has been a solid year. After only receiving 20 at-bats in his freshman campaign, Jack has hit .350 in his 60 at-bats this season. He’s mixed in five doubles, 11 RBI and 10 runs over that span. Welcome to Waynesboro, Jack Murphy!
Luke Short – Left-Handed Pitcher
Luke Short is the 6-0 180 pound freshman from Los Gatos, California and Los Gatos High School. Luke will be chomping at the bit for some game action as he red-shirted in his true freshman year this year. The left-hander was ranked the 34th best pitcher in the very large state of California by PerfectGame. Before arriving at Saint Mary’s, Luke played most recently for Aggies Baseball Upperclass. Scouting reports on Luke all talk about his loose arm action, athletic delivery, and his effectiveness on both right-handed and left-handed hitters. Luke will look to get himself into great shape to make the most of his collegiate career with a good summer with the Generals. Welcome to Waynesboro, Luke Short!
