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.
Gens Get Back In Win Column
A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh by Jackson Tate put the Generals ahead for good on Monday night in a makeup game with the Harrisonburg Turks.
The Turks jumped out to an early lead in the game with two runs in the first inning. All the offense in the first came with two outs in the inning. Cole McNamee singled and Caston Peter was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Aaron Levy drilled one into left center for a double that scored the first run of the game. The next batter was Jack Roberts who singled up the middle for the second run of the inning. The Gens would sniff out a play that Roberts would steal second, but once the throw was made by the catcher, he stopped in his tracks. Once the throw was made, the runner from third tries to steal home. Fortunately for the Generals, Kobe Lopez (Florida International) delivered a strike to the catcher and the runner was caught stealing at the plate for out number three.
The Generals weren’t able to respond in the bottom of the first, but in the bottom of the second they made up for it with three runs to take the lead after two innings of play. Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) started the inning with a double over the left fielder’s head. Two batters later, Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) worked his way on with a walk to put runners at first and second. After a strikeout, Connor Norby (East Carolina) bounced a single up the middle to bring in the first run of the game for the Generals. When Worrell tried going from first to third on the hit, the throw got away from the third baseman to allow Connor Norby to scoot into second base. Two runners were now in scoring position for Kobe Lopez. Kobe came up big with a double that was scorched into the left center field gap. Both runs would score and the Gens had the lead.
The Turks would tie things back up with a run in the fourth inning. The run was an unfortunate one for the Gens. The inning started with a routine ground ball that was fielded cleanly at third by Connor Norby. When Norby made the throw across, it was going to be on target, but the ball was right in the sun for the first baseman Wes Clarke (South Carolina). When the ball skipped away, Immanuel Wilder was able to reach second base. Wilder then stole third to put himself just 90 feet away with nobody out in the inning. After a strikeout, the Turks came up with an RBI groundout to short by Nick Zona. The score was tied at 3 going into the bottom of the fourth.
The Generals took the lead right back in the bottom of the fourth. Bryson Worrell came up after the first out was made, and in a 2-2 count, he hammered a no-doubter to right field for his third home run of the summer. Bryson showed exactly why the Gens chose him to be our representative in the home run derby on Sunday in Harrisonburg for All-Star weekend. The Gens led 4-3 after four complete innings.
The Turks didn’t let the lead last very long. They tied the game up in the top of the fifth. Caston Peter led things off with a walk. He moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a ground ball to the right side. Jack Roberts, who had just given up the home run after coming into pitch in the last half inning, made amends with an RBI single up the middle. This tied the game and Roberts got himself off the hook for the loss.
After a few innings of not scoring, the Generals broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh in a big way. After Jack Murphy was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning, Jackson Tate (Alabama) was quickly in an 0-2 hole. He said in his post game interview that after a curveball in the dirt got away and allowed Murphy to go to second that the next pitch had to be a fastball. He was right. He took the elevated fastball deep to left center for his third home run of the summer to give the Generals the lead 6-4 after seven innings.
That put the pitcher of record, Christian Dearman (Florida International) in a spot for his second win of the season. Dearman was lights out once again. He threw three innings, allowing just two hits, no runs, walking one, and striking out three. After working the sixth, seventh, and eighth, he turned the ball over to McLain Harris (Young Harris College) for the save opportunity. McLain, as he has been all year, was shut down once again. He allowed a hit and a walk to get the go-ahead run to the plate, but to home fans, the game never really seemed in doubt. Harris was able to strike out two batters in the ninth to pick up his second save of the season.
Key Performers for Harrisonburg:
Jack Roberts: 2-5, 2 RBI
Cole McNamee: 3-5, R
Nick Zona: 2-4, RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 1-4, Go-Ahead HR in 7th (3), 2 RBI, R
Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s): 2-3, 2B, 2 R
Bryson Worrell (East Carolina): 1-3, HR (3), RBI, 2 R
Connor Norby (East Carolina): 2-4, RBI, R
Christian Dearman (Florida International): W (2-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
McLain Harris (Young Harris College): SV (2), 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The Generals (16-8) are back in action on the road in Covington. They take on the Lumberjacks on Tuesday in a double header consisting of two seven inning games. After the win over South division foe Harrisonburg, the Generals have a good opportunity to put some space between themselves and Covington to lengthen their lead on the rest of the division. First pitch of the first game set for 5 pm with the second game starting approximately 30-45 minutes after the completion of game one.
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.
Teams Combine for 30 Runs In Generals 8th Win
After four hours and some change, Woodstock and Waynesboro put up 10 and 20 runs respectively. The rest of the box score had the Generals having 16 hits and making three errors. For Woodstock, they had 17 hits and six errors.
Things got started with a bang for Waynesboro. They scored eight runs in the top of the first inning after sending 13 batters to the plate. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) started it all with a walk. After a fly out to right field, the Generals would have their next seven batters reach safely. Eli Quiceno (Gannon U) doubled, Wes Clarke (South Carolina) singled to bring in Kobe, and Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) had an infield single to load the bases. After Quiceno scored on a wild pitch, Jackson Tate (Alabama) singled to left to bring in Clarke. An error by the third baseman allowed Worrell to score and keep the line moving. Connor Norby (East Carolina) and Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) were hit by pitches. Proffitt’s was with the bases loaded and allowed Tate to score. After a pitching change, the River Bandits managed the second out of the inning. But the clean record didn’t last long, as Seth Cannady (Florida International) cleared the loaded bases with a double. The score after the first three outs of the game was 8-0 in favor of the Generals.
It would be immediately apparent that the River Bandits wouldn’t just lay down. They scored one in the bottom of the first. Jaylon Deshazier started things right out of the gate with a double. He was followed by Aidan Nagle with a single. The Generals would make their first error of the ball game on the third hitter that allowed Deshazier to score. Things would settle down after that and the score after one complete inning was 8-1.
The second inning saw the Generals continue to pile on. Bryson Worrell would start it out with a single to left, but would move to second as the throw back into the cutoff man was a wild one. After a couple of strikeouts, Connor Norby would join his collegiate teammate on base via the walk. Bases became loaded on a walk to Christian Proffitt. Kobe Lopez would come up large with a long double to left center field that brought in both ECU boys. The score after two was 10-1.
The Generals would hold the River Bandits in the bottom of the second inning. They continued their scoring in the top of the third. Wes Clarke was hit by a pitch and soon after, Jackson Tate drove him in from first base with a double over the left fielder’s head. The score moved to 11-1.
This is where the River Bandits said enough is enough. They responded in the bottom of the third with six runs to make the game a bit tighter. Andrew Puglielli started things out with a double past the diving Norby at third base. Caleb Ward singled to put runners at the corners for Lael Lockhart. Lockhart singled to right field to drive in Puglielli. The throw in from the right fielder was a wild one and allowed Ward to get to third and Lockhart to second. An error by the shortstop allowed Ward to score and put runners on the corners with still nobody out. The next batter hit a grounder to short to allow the runner at third to come home, and the Gens couldn’t turn it quickly enough to get a double play out of the deal. After a Will Escala double to put runners at second and third, Jaylon Deshazier drilled a triple into right center to bring in two more runs. The next batter, Aidan Nagle, hit a double to drive in Deshazier to finish the scoring in the third. The score after three was 11-7.
The Generals lengthened their lead a bit in the top of the 5th. Eli Quiceno was hit by a pitch and moved to third on an Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) double. Worrell would come up and drive in Quiceno on a ground ball to second base. The score going to the bottom of the fifth was 12-7.
The River Bandits made their last big push in the bottom of the fifth. They scored three runs to push the score to 12-10. Austin Bates was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Two batters later, Will Escala came up with his second double of the game to put runners at second and third. Bates scored on a wild pitch to put up their first of three runs. After a strikeout, Aidan Nagle came up and delivered a very controversial home run. If you ask the folks in the outfield bleachers in Woodstock, just about all of them would tell you that the ball bounced a good 15 feet in front of the fence, took a high bounce, and landed over the fence for what should have been a ground rule double. However, the umpires came together to discuss it. Their final ruling was a home run to bring the River Bandit deficit to just two.
The Generals would finally settle down and pull away with five runs in the top of the sixth. Connor Norby singled to get things going. After a Christian Proffitt walk, Kobe Lopez singled to left and the left fielder botched the ball to allow runners to advance. Connor Norby scored the first of five runs. The next play was ruled as an error on the shortstop that allowed two more runs to score. Quiceno would come up with another single to put runners at first and third. After Ethan Cady was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Bryson Worrell worked a bases loaded walk. Another error by the River Bandit third baseman allowed the final run of the inning. That put the score at 17-10.
The Generals added three more in the top of the 9th for insurance runs. Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) walked with one away in the inning. Eli Quiceno came through with his third hit of the ball game to make him 3-5. A second Ethan Cady double drove in the first run of the top of the 9th. Bryson Worrell singled to bring in the second run, and the final error of the ballgame by the River Bandit third baseman allowed the final run of the game to score. The final score of the ball game was 20-10.
Key Performers for Woodstock:
Jaylon Deshazier: 3-6, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
Aidan Nagle: 4-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Will Escala: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Kobe Lopez (Florida International): 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U): 3-5, 2B, 4 R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 2-7, 2B, 3 RBI, R
Bryson Worrell (East Carolina): 3-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Daniel Casto (Memphis): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
McLain Harris (Young Harris): 2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
The Generals (8-5) are back in action Thursday night at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field when they take on the Staunton Braves. First pitch is set for 7 pm.
Opening Night Win for Gens
After some early offensive struggles, the Gens pushed across 3 huge runs in the 5th inning to take the lead for good in their Opening Night win over Covington.
The Lumberjacks wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After Waynesboro starter Deven Judy (Gannon University) walked 2 out of his first 3 hitters, Matthew Cocciadiferro drilled a single to right field to bring Pedro Nazario in to score. The lead for the Jacks was at 1-0 after one inning.
Both pitchers had the strikeout pitch working early on. Kristopher Davidson for Covington had six strikeouts in his first four innings, while Judy also struck out six in four innings.
The score stayed the same until the bottom of the 5th. After the first batter of the inning was retired, Jackson Tate (U of Alabama) singled to start things out. After Jackson Greene (Florida St.) was hit by a pitch and Kobe Lopez (Florida International) walked, Nick Neville (South Carolina) hit a bases loaded, two RBI single to left field. On the very next pitch, Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) singled to right center to drive in Kobe Lopez. The score after 5 complete innings read Waynesboro on top, 3-1.
That’s all reliever Zach Blankenship (Valdosta State) would need. He fired three innings, gave up an unearned run and struck out two to pick up his first win of the season.
The offense would continue to shine in the 6th. Elijah Quiceno (Gannon University) would hit a one-out single to right field. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Quiceno would be brought in to score on a double by Jackson Tate.
Needing an answer, the Lumberjacks would score an unearned run to pull the score back to 4-2. Jeff Taylor tapped a ball back to Blankenship on the mound, who airmailed first base and allowed Taylor to move into second base. Pedro Nazario would then single to center to drive in Taylor.
Unfortunately for Jacks fans, the General offense would continue to tack on runs in the bottom half of the 7th. After Joe Kinker walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a ground out, Elijah Quiceno would come up with a 2-out single to score Kinker. That brought the score to 5-2 after seven complete innings.
McLain Harris (Young Harris College) would then come in and shut the door with a six out save. Four of the six outs he recorded were via the punch out.
Key Performers for Covington:
- Pedro Nazario: 1-2, 2 BB, R, RBI
- Kristopher Davidson: L (0-1), 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Jackson Tate (Alabama): 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB
- Elijah Quiceno (Gannon): 2-4, R, RBI
- Deven Judy (Gannon): ND, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
- Zach Blankenship (Valdosta St): W (1-0), 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
- McLain Harris (Young Harris Col): SV (1), 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Head Coach Zac Cole and his team will be back in action tomorrow night on the road vs. Harrisonburg.
