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.
Turks Win 5th Straight Over Generals
After the Gens jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, it was all Harrisonburg for the final 8 innings of the ball game.
The Generals came out swinging in the top of the first. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) led the game off with a double down the right field line. After Seth Cannady (Florida International) was hit by a pitch, Wes Clarke (South Carolina) hit a double that looked extremely similar to Lopez’s double. That scored Kobe and put runners at second and third with just one out. The Generals wouldn’t be able to scratch another run across in the inning. Little did they know, they would struggle to get a chance as good as that one for the rest of the game.
The Turks evened the score in the 4th after starter Zach Kirby (East Tennessee State) lost the feel for the strike zone for just a moment. A single and a walk put runners at first and second. A couple of wild pitches moved runners around the base paths and helped one score. Kirby did a nice job at limiting the Turks to just one run, and the score remained tied after four innings.
The Turks would threaten again in the fifth when they got runners to second and third with nobody out in the inning. A couple of strikeouts and a runner cut down at the plate on a ball that got away from the catcher allowed Kirby to get out of the inning unscathed. The righty from ETSU went five strong innings to give his team a good chance to win the game.
The Turks ultimately pulled ahead in the bottom of the seventh inning with two runs. A double got things started for the Turks offense. A single brought the runner around third with a play at the plate available. The throw from the centerfielder was a bit wild and got away from the catcher which allowed the runner to get all the way to third base without a throw. The next batter did his job with a sacrifice fly to right to move the score to 3-1 in favor of the Turks.
The starter for the Turks, Jacob Ferris went 7.2 innings of solid work. He struck out nine Gens while only allowing the first inning run. His performance, along with his first start earlier in the week, was enough for Ferris to grab VBL Player of the Week honors.
Key Performers for Harrisonburg:
Jacob Ferris: W (3-0), 7.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Brandon Stephens: SV (1), 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
McCann Mellett: 2-3, RBI
Josh Madole: 2-4, R
Nick Zona: 2-3, RBI
Immanuel Wilder: 1-3, 2B, R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Zach Kirby (East Tennessee State): 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Connor Norby (East Carolina): 2-3
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 1-3, 2B, RBI
Santiago Garcia (Alabama State): 2-4, 2B
The Generals (9-7) will be back on the road Sunday night vs the Front Royal Cardinals at Bing Crosby Stadium. First pitch is set for 7 pm.
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.
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.
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 Neutralize Cannons
The Generals blasted three home runs in the five-run fifth inning on the road in Purcellville to blow the game open and improve their record to 5-2.
Waynesboro got things started right from the start with a two run inning in the top of the first. After a double play ball turned by the Cannons, there was nobody on and two out in the inning. Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) would start things with a walk. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would walk as well to put runners at first and second. Jackson Tate (Alabama) would deliver the big blow with a double scorched down the left field line to bring in both Kinker and Clarke. The double marked Jackson’s 4th of the year and also gave him his 4th and 5th RBI of the summer.
The Generals would wait until the fourth inning to strike again, this time just for one run. Santiago Garcia (Alabama State) would start things with a single. Two batters later, the cannons would commit an error, a category they dubiously lead the league in. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) would drive in Garcia with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. The Gens would have the lead with a 3-0 mark after three and a half innings.
The Cannons would respond with their first run in the bottom of the fourth. To this point, the starter for the Gens, Eric Sapp (Gannon University) was dealing with not much resistance. However, when Sapp barely missed with a very close 2-2 count pitch, Jose Aquino would make the most of his opportunity. He blasted a solo shot to straight away left field to make the score 3-1 after four complete innings.
The Generals saw Aquino having fun with his homer in the fourth and wanted to have some fun of their own. Seth Cannady (Florida International) would start things out with a sharp single to left. Two batters later, Wes Clarke would unload on a ball to center that drilled off the press box in straight away centerfield. It was the second homer for Clarke on the season, and to that point, he had the only two home runs the Generals had hit this summer. Fans were still settling back into their seats when Jackson Tate would hit a deep drive to left centerfield. After the ball hit off the concrete warning track at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville, the sky high bounce provided Jackson with some time to motor around the bases. He would eventually use his top level speed to come all the way around for an inside-the-park home run to tally his first of the summer, and the first homer for the Generals by someone not named Wes Clarke. Santi Garcia would keep the line moving with a single. If two homers in the inning wasn’t enough, Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) would hammer a high deep drive right down the right field line. After a few moments of suspense in waiting for the umpire’s decision of whether it was fair or foul, Cady was allowed to continue his trot around the bases to record his first homer of the season. The score after all this was said and done in the fifth inning was 8-1.
The Cannons would add a run in the bottom of the sixth and another in the bottom of the ninth to make the score 8-3, but the game was never really in doubt after the power display in the fifth. The win would improve the Generals to 5-2 and would drop the Cannons to 1-7.
Key Performers for Purcellville:
Jose Aquino: 4-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
Michael Brewer: 2-4, 2B, RBI
Kyle Hayes: 2-4, 2B, R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 1-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Santiago Garcia (Alabama State): 3-4, 2 R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 2-5, 2B, HR (1), 3 RBI
Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State): 1-5, HR (1), 2 RBI
Eric Sapp (Gannon University): 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Waynesboro will be back in action on Wednesday when they welcome the Front Royal Cardinals to Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field for a 7 pm game.
