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.
Home Runs Help Gens To Their 6th Straight Win
Ethan Cady and Wes Clarke each hit their team-leading third home run of the year to help the Gens take down the Staunton Braves on the road Saturday night.
Staunton jumped out to a one run lead in the bottom of the first. A walk and a hit-by-pitch with one out in the inning set the stage for Devon Moore to hit a single up the middle that scored the runner from second. They would hold the lead for a half inning before relinquishing it for the rest of the game.
The Gens responded with a vengeance in the top of the second. After retiring the first two hitters of the inning, things got started with a single to left by Jackson Tate (Alabama). The next batter was Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State). He would fall behind in the count, 0-2. However, the next pitch was over the heart of the plate and Ethan didn’t miss it. He cranked a high fly ball that banged off the sponsorship wall above the out field wall in John Moxie Stadium for his third home run of the season. This put Ethan alone for the team lead in homers over a number of players that had hit two. It put the Gens up 2-1, but the weren’t finished yet. Jackson Greene (Florida State) singled after the homer and moved to second on a walk to Connor Norby (East Carolina). Kobe Lopez (Florida International) came up with another single that drove in Greene, but when the centerfielder whiffed the ball, Norby came all the way around to score. The score after the top of the second was 4-1 in favor of the Gens.
The Gens wouldn’t wait long to score again. After starter Deven Judy (Gannon U) worked out of a bit of a jam in the bottom of the second, Eli Quiceno (Gannon U) hit the first of his two doubles to get things off and running in the third. The very next batter was Wes Clarke (South Carolina). He hit an absolute no doubter to left center field to continue the fireworks. That was his third of the season, which tied himself with Cady once again. Cady had held the team lead in homers for a total of one inning. The score was now 6-1.
The fourth inning would make the third consecutive inning that the Gens scored. Again, they would do their damage after the first two hitters of the inning were retired. A two-out single by Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) brought up Eli Quiceno. Eli put a charge into one that had the crowd thinking it was a third consecutive inning with a homer for Waynesboro. Instead, the ball banged off the wall and Eli was able to pull into second base with an RBI double. The score after the top of the fourth was 7-1.
The Braves would mount a bit of a comeback with three unanswered runs. They scored one in the fourth and two in the seventh. In the fourth, a walk and two singles loaded the bases for Staunton with one out in the inning. A ground out would score a run and put runners at second and third, but Judy escaped further damage. Judy also got into a bases loaded jam in the fifth, but a couple of strikeouts got him out of the inning and finished his night after five innings. In the seventh, the inning got started with an error on the Waynesboro third baseman. A single by Logan Worley put runners at first and second. Duncan Pastore ripped a double past the diving third baseman to bring in the runner from second. A sacrifice fly by Jacob Selden brought in another run but really settled in Luke Short (St. Mary’s). Luke had already pitched a clean 6th before having just a little trouble in the sixth. After the sacrifice fly gave Waynesboro their first out, Short proceeded to strikeout two more batters to finish the inning. He was able to punch out four in just two innings. The score after seven complete innings had the Gens on top by three, 7-4.
The Generals were able to add some insurance runs in the top of the ninth to put things out of reach for the Braves. But just before that in the bottom of the eighth, Christian Edwards (Jacksonville State) put up an immaculate inning. He threw 9 pitches, 9 strikes, and recorded 3 punch outs. The craziest part of the immaculate inning was that Edwards threw only fastballs. He was bringing the gas and Staunton couldn’t catch up with it. He also went on to strikeout three more in his second inning of work to pick up his first save of the season. Jackson Tate was hit by at pitch and made Staunton pay for it. He stole second and then third all within a matter of four pitches. With a drawn in infield, Jackson Greene hit a chopper to the shortstop. The shortstop tried to throw out Tate at home, but was late in doing so. An RBI fielder’s choice for Jackson Greene put the first run of the inning on the board. Connor Norby got hit by a pitch and Kobe Lopez walked to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed the other runner to come in to put the score at 9-4. That score ended up being the final as the Gens won their sixth in a row and also moved their record vs the Staunton Braves to 4-0 on the season.
Key Performers for Staunton:
Logan Worley: 2-5, R
Duncan Pastore: 1-4, 2B, RBI
Mitchell Guerrieri: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State): 2-4, 3B, HR (3), 2 RBI, R
Elijah Quiceno (Gannon University): 2-6, 2 2B, RBI, R
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 1-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
Deven Judy (Gannon University): W (1-0), 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Christian Edwards (Jacksonville State): SV (1), 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (First Inning- “Immaculate Inning”)
The Generals (15-7) will be back in action on the road on Sunday night. They’ll travel to Woodstock to take on the River Bandits. The two games with Woodstock have both lasted over four hours, had at least 32 combined hits, and at least 29 combined runs. So Sunday night promises to be a fireworks display a little bit before July. First pitch is set for 7 pm.
Gens Post Another Comeback In Ninth With Win In Extras
The Generals were down to their last out needing more runs for the second straight night. Tuesday night, it was at home vs the Woodstock River Bandits needing 5 in the ninth. Wednesday it was on the road in Staunton needing three in the ninth.
The game got off to a bit of a slow start for both teams. For Waynesboro, they had just come down off their high from winning over Woodstock in thrilling fashion in a game that lasted well over four hours. Coach Cole admitted after the game that, “We were dead. Everybody was still tired from last night, including me. We had community service early this morning. We were all exhausted.” However, the first run of the game was scored by Waynesboro in the top of the third. Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) started things off with a single. After two straight hit-by-pitches, the bases were loaded with nobody out. After a strikeout, a wild pitch allowed Murphy to come in and score. Unfortunately, the Gens couldn’t muster up any more offense in the inning.
The Generals scored again in the top of the fourth to make the score 2-0. A double by Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) got things started. An error on the Braves’ shortstop put runners at the corners with nobody out. The Braves then made another error that allowed Kinker to come in and score. Again the Generals offense stalled with a good situation in front of them. They had runners at first and second with nobody out after the run scored, and they weren’t able to bring anyone else in.
It was in the bottom of the 5th that the Braves struck for all six of their runs in the ballgame. A single by Pastore, a walk to Selden, an RBI double by Brown, and a two RBI single by Brophy put three runs on the board. A pitching change was made for the Generals, but it really didn’t slow down the Braves offense. Two walks loaded the bases before a single brought in another run for the Braves. Finally, it looked like the Gens were going to settle in on the mound. A huge strikeout of the league’s leading RBI man in Andrew Czech gave the Gens their first out of the inning. After a tapper back to the mound looked like it could be the double play the Gens were looking for, an errant throw on the back end sent the ball into the right field corner and allowed another run and gave the Braves another out to work with. Another error by the Gens allowed the sixth and final run to score. The score after five complete innings read 6-2 in favor of the homestanding Braves.
One of the biggest strengths of this General team is that they take the opposing team’s best punch, and always seem to have an answer back. They continued that with Joey Kinker continuing his great night in the very next half inning. He doubled to instantly put a runner in scoring position. Jackson Tate (Alabama) worked a walk to put runners at first and second. After a wild pitch, both runners moved into scoring position with nobody out. Jack Murphy came up with a sacrifice fly to center to bring a run in, but that would end the General rally. The score after six complete was 6-3.
That score would remain until the top of the ninth. In that inning, things seemed to just be on the Braves side. After a walk, the next hitter would hit a ground ball to the shortstop. The ball came up on him, glanced off his chest right into the glove of the second baseman who turned the double play to clear the bases with two outs in the inning and the Generals still needing three runs. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) reached on an error by the Braves’ third baseman to keep things alive. Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) then singled to center to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of the hot hitting Joey Kinker. Two pitches into the at-bat, Joey drilled one high and deep to right centerfield that disappeared into the pines beyond the right field fence. TIE BALLGAME courtesy of Joey Kinker’s first homer of the summer.
The Braves tried to respond in the bottom of the ninth to pick up a walk-off win. After a walk, Andrew Czech came to the plate again. He ripped a ball that seemed to be destined for center field that would have put runners at first and second. But shortstop Kobe Lopez had other ideas. He dove to his left, making a sensational, full-extension dive and catch for out number one. He then had the presence of mind to get to his feet and deliver a strike across the diamond to double up the runner at first. The momentum had now shifted completely into the Generals favor.
They didn’t waste the momentum in the 10th. Jackson Greene (Florida State) ripped a double down the left field line. Jack Murphy dropped down a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt to move Greene to third. The Gens tried to play more small ball with Brad Burckel (U of Houston) at the plate. His bunt was a hard one right back to the pitcher who was able to flip on to the catcher to nab Greene for out number two. However, on the very first pitch in the next at-bat, Burckel stole second base and headed for third on an errant throw by the catcher. The centerfielder saw Burckel going to third and was going to try to throw him out. There was only one problem… He forgot to field the ball, and it rolled past him deeper into centerfield. Burckel then rounded third and headed for home, making it easily on the second error on the Braves on the same play. The Generals lead going into the bottom of the 10th by a score of 7-6.
Waynesboro turned to Nick Zegna (George Mason) to shut the door in the bottom of the 10th. The tall righty came to the mound filled to the brim with confidence. He went three up, three down, and struck out two in the process for his first save of the summer. The Gens had completed their second comeback victory in as many nights.
Key Performers for Staunton:
Duncan Pastore: 2-4, 2 SB, R
Colin Brophy: 2-4, 2 RBI
Ronald Brown: 1-5, 2B, RBI
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s): 2-3, RBI, R
Kobe Lopez (Florida International): 2-5, SB, R
Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
Daniel Casto (Memphis): W (1-1), 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Nick Zegna (George Mason): SV (1), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The Cardiac Gens (12-7) will be back in action on Thursday night at home vs the Winchester Royals. First pitch at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field is set for 7 pm.
Generals Blast 3 Homers in Regular Season Finale
The Generals came out hot in the early going on the road in Staunton to push them towards a 13-5 victory in the last game of the regular season.
Marcus Ragan (Arkansas Little Rock) wasted no time getting the offense up and running. He doubled into right center on the second pitch of the game. After being bunted to third, Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) hit a high fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game. This set up the 2-out, nobody on, situation that Andrew Orzel (Wofford) stepped to the plate to. Orzel would hammer a ball over the trees that stand behind the left field fence. He and his teammates were still getting settled back into their seats in the dugout when Bo Seccombe (Faulkner) unleashed on his first home run of the summer in just his second game with the club. The score after 1 full inning of play was 3-0 Generals.
The Gens didn’t stop after the first inning. They continued in the 2nd where they left off in the first. Staunton managed to get the first two hitters out in the inning. Trey Polewski (USC Aiken) didn’t allow the Gens to go down easy. He singled to left field. Marcus Ragan followed him up with his second hit in as many innings. After a pitching change, Hunter Johnson (JMU) hit a line shot over the centerfield fence to make the score 6-0.
After nothing going on for either side in the 3rd, the 4th proved to be fruitful for the Gens. Chris Brady (Patrick Henry CC) started things off with a walk and would move to second on a sacrifice bunt. Marcus Ragan would come up with his 3rd hit of the night, this time for an RBI single. Hunter Johnson would move Ragan to third with a single but would be thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. Tyler Bielamowicz would step in and deliver a 2 out double to bring in Ragan. Orzel would single to right and bring in Bielo for the third run of the inning. The score as 9-0 going into the bottom of the 4th.
The Braves would finally get on the board in the bottom of the 4th when Eric Connor hit a solo home run to centerfield. Then in the 5th, they’d tack on another run via the solo home run. This time the culprit was Bryson Parks. Then in the 7th, the Braves would start to make things interesting. Gens fans can’t help but remember the 9-2 lead they blew to Staunton earlier on in the year. They would start to have flash backs in the 7th. The Braves would start the inning off with a double, a walk, and a wild pitch to get two runners into scoring position. 2 batters later, a single would bring in a run and put runners at the corner with one out and the score at 9-3. After a walk to load the bases, Tyler Thompson (Austin Peay) would stride to the mound out of the bullpen to try and limit the damage. He would get the hitter to roll a slow ground ball to shortstop for out number 2, but another run was able to score. Runners were again at the corners, this time with two outs and the score at 9-4. A groundball with eyes would make its way through the infield to put up the third and final run in the inning. The score after 7 innings was a much closer 9-5 tally.
The Gens wouldn’t allow the comeback this time though. They bounced right back for 4 runs in the top of the 8th. Trey Polewski would work his way on with a walk and would be bunted to second. Hunter Johnson would bring in Polewski with a single and would move to second base on the throw. After a Jackson Webb (UCF) walk and an error by the first baseman on a grounder by Andrew Orzel, Bo Seccombe would come through with another huge knock. It was a bases clearing triple by Seccombe that would bring the score to the 13-5 mark that it would finish with.
Key Performers for Staunton:
- Eric Conner: 1-4, HR
- Bryson Parks: 1-3, HR
- Jeremy Cook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Marcus Ragan (Arkansas Little Rock): 3-4, 2B, RBI, SB
- Bo Seccombe (Faulkner): 3-5, HR, 3B, 4 RBI
- Andrew Orzel (Wofford): 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Hunter Johnson (JMU): 3-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
- Justin Beyer (Wagner): W (2-1), 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
- Tyler Thompson (Austin Peay): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
The Generals finish the season at 24-18, 4 games better than last year’s record. They have earned the 3rd seed in the South Division and will begin the playoffs Sunday night at CVille Weekly Ballpark when they take on the 2nd seeded Charlottesville TomSox. The playoffs series are all best-of-3 format.
Gens Fall to Staunton On the Road
A trio of 3 run innings by the Braves put enough distance from the Generals to take down Waynesboro in comfortable fashion. While Waynesboro scored in 5 of the 9 offensive innings, it wasn’t enough to keep up with Staunton.
The first of the 3 run innings from the Braves came in the bottom of the first inning. The first hitter of the game doubled to left center to start things off. He was moved to third after a sacrifice attempt was botched by the General catcher. After a stolen base, runners were on second and third when a sacrifice fly was hit to center. The throw from center got away and allowed the runner from second to move up. The next Staunton batter doubled to right center to drive in another run and make it 2-0. The final run scored came 2 batters later on a 2 out single to right.
The Gens would respond with a run in the top of the second. Bryce Teodosio (Clemson) led the inning off with a hit-by-pitch. 2 batters later he stole second to put himself in scoring position. After Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St.) was hit by a pitch, Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) drove a double right over the center fielder’s head for the first run of the ball game for the Gens. Unfortunately, they would strand Bruno at third. After 2 complete innings, the score would stand at 3-1.
In the bottom of the 4th inning, the Braves would unleash their second 3 run inning. It started with a 1 out walk. The next hitter would single and move runners to the corners with 1 out. When starting pitcher Evan Gillespie (Faulkner) would pick the runner off of first base, a run-down would ensue. When the runner from third took off for the plate, the General shortstop fired home and the ball scooted away from the catcher. So a run had scored and the runner that was picked at first went all the way to third. Trey Jacobs would follow all that up with a first pitch, 2-run homer for the Braves. The score was now 6-1 in favor of Staunton.
The Gens would bounce back in the top of the 5th to score another run. The Generals loaded the bases with nobody out in the inning. Tyler Bielamowicz would start things with a walk, followed by singles by Jackson Webb (UCF) and Alex Webb (Chipola) to load them up for the 4 through 6 hitters with nobody out. It looked to be the big inning the Generals would need. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) would hit a bleeder into center that would drop, but Alex Webb would be putout at second base for the first out. It would go as an RBI fielder’s choice for Orzel. The Braves starter Buckshot Flynn would then work a strikeout and a ground ball to get out of the inning with minimal damage. The score was 6-2 after 4 and a half innings.
The Braves would then put up their third and final 3 run inning to basically put the game out of reach. They got things started with a single and a walk to put runners at first and second. After a sacrifice bunt to move runners into scoring position, the hitter would come through with an RBI single to put runners at the corners. When the runner from first took off to second for a stolen base attempt, the throw from the catcher was a low one and the ball hit the lip of the infield and came up and caught Jackson Webb in the face. As the ball bounded away, the runner from home scored. After a wild pitch, an RBI groundout would be enough for their third run of the inning. The score after 5 complete would be 9-2.
The Generals would score 1 in each of the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings to tighten things up. In the 6th, Keegan Morrow (UAB) doubled to start things off. After a single by the newest addition to the team Dayton Beasley (Middle Georgia) to move Morrow to third, Tyler Bielamowicz came up with an RBI sacrifice fly. In the 7th, Alex Webb would start things off with another single. He would be followed by Andrew Orzel’s league leading 17th hit-by-pitch to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Keegan Morrow would drive in Webb for the only run of the 7th. In the 8th, another 2 out RBI single by Andrew Orzel would tighten the score to 9-5. However, in the bottom of the 8th the Braves would add a run on a 1 out single to move the score to 10-5. That ended up being the final.
Key Performers for Staunton:
- Trey Jacobs: 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
- Brandon Hernandez: 2-4, 2B, SB, RBI, R
- Bryson Parks: 3-4, 2 SB, RBI, 2 R
- Eric Conner: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R
- Buckshot Flynn: W, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston): 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R
- Alex Webb (Chipola): 3-5, R
- Keegan Morrow: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Waynesboro (21-16) will take a much needed day off Thursday and will be back at home to take on the Charlottesville TomSox in a big South division matchup Friday night at Kate Collins Field.
Generals Bats Quieted In Loss to Staunton
The Generals entered the game with Staunton on Thursday night with a 4-game win streak. The last loss that the Generals had suffered was at the hands of the Staunton Braves last Saturday. The Braves pitching staff would find a way to shut down the bats of the Gens this time, allowing only 6 hits and 2 runs.
The big blow to the Generals in the game was a 3-run 3rd inning by the Braves. The inning started with an error by the Generals. After being moved to second base on a swinging bunt up the first baseline, Dean Hermanson came through with an RBI single to centerfield to open the scoring. After recording another out, a 2-out walk would come back to haunt the Gens. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Brett Willett stepped in. A wild pitch would move both runners into scoring position, and Willett would deliver with a single to drive both in. The score after 3 innings was 3-0 in favor of Staunton.
In the top of the 4th, the Braves would be threatening again. They had runners on first and second with nobody out. However, when Eric Conner sent a 2-hopper to the third baseman Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St.), he would step on third and deliver a strike to Jackson Webb (UCF) at second base. Webb would then make a quick transfer and throw to Andrew Orzel (Wofford) that was in time for the 5-4-3 TRIPLE PLAY!
Alex Webb (Chipola) would follow the inning ender up with a triple to right center field to start the inning. Dalton Wingo (UCF) would eventually bring him in with an RBI groundout, but that would be the only run in the inning. After 4 complete, the score was 3-1 Braves.
Both teams would score one run each in the 6th inning. Staunton’s came off of a solo home run by Brandon Hernandez. Waynesboro’s came on an error with 2 outs in the inning. This would lead to the final score with not much happening offensively in the last three innings of the game.
Key Performers for Staunton:
- Evan Flynn: W (1-1), 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
- Brandon Wilkes: SV (3), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
- Brandon Hernandez: 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Andrew Orzel (Wofford): 1-2, 2B, BB, HBP
- Bryce Teodosio (Clemson): 1-2, BB, HBP, R
- Hunter Shuff (USC Aiken): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
- Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
The Generals (13-13) will be back in action one more time before they start their All-Star break. They’ll travel to Harrisonburg to take on the Turks on Friday in an important swing game for their record.
Late Saturday Night Contest Sees Braves Over Gens
In a ball game that didn’t get started until 8:30 due to wet field conditions, the Braves outlasted the Generals in a tightly contested Saturday night showdown.
Both teams started their offensive nights with runs in the first frame. In the top of the first, Cole Swiger singled to center to start the night for Staunton. After a walk to the next hitter, Staunton elected to play small ball early on and sacrifice the runners to second and third with one out. After a Braves strike out, Will Simoneit hit an infield single to the hole at shortstop to bring in the first run of the game.
The Generals would answer right back. Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) singled to start the night. Bruno Teramoto (New Mexico St) drew a walk to create a carbon copy of the top half of the inning. Chase Cheek (Duke) then went to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but placed it so perfectly that he was able to beat the throw for a bunt single. Andrew Orzel (Wofford) was able to bring in the first General run by taking a pitch off his back for an RBI hit-by-pitch. The bases were still loaded with nobody out when the next hitter rolled into a double play. It did, however, give the Generals the lead at 2-1.
Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) was the starter for the Generals on Saturday night. After giving up a run in the first, he was able to settle in a bit. With 4 hits and 2 walks, he did have to pitch himself out of some jams, but was able to do so masterfully with 6 strikeouts. It was after his 5 innings were up that trouble set in for the Generals. With the new pitcher in the game, the Braves struck for runs in each of the next 3 innings.
In the 6th, the Braves were able to work their first two on by a walk and HBP. They decided to go with the small ball route again and laid down a sacrifice bunt. Justin Beyer (Wagner) was the new pitcher in the game and tried to force a throw into third base, but ended up throwing the ball into left field, allowing a run to score and runners to second and third. After Beyer walked the next hitter, his night was done. The left-handed Bryan Wilcox (FGCU) came into the ball game to try and get out of the jam. He did just that by getting a shallow fly ball to left for out number one and a 4-6-3 double play for outs 2 and 3 to not allow another run to score. The score was now tied at 2-2.
Unfortunately, the 7th didn’t go as smoothly for Wilcox. After a leadoff single, the runner came all the way around to score on a double into the left field gap. Wilcox managed to strike out the next hitter, but that would be the end of his night. He would give way to Matt Nickles (Randolph-Macon). Nickles wouldn’t be able to strand Wilcox’s last runner as he surrendered a two-out RBI single to Brycen Thomas. The score after 7 complete was 4-2.
In the 8th, there was more of the same. A leadoff single started things out for the Braves. Nickles then got what looked like a 6-4-3 double play ball to delete the runner from first. Umpires came together and ruled that the throw pulled the first baseman from the bag. Cole Swiger would make the Gens pay for the mistake by ripping a double into the left center gap for an RBI. After a groundout to second base to move Swiger to third, he came in to score on a wild pitch. That put the Braves on top by 4 and they were never threatened in the late innings.
The Generals were only able to muster 6 hits total in the game. This marks the 8th time in 14 games that the Gens were held to 4 runs or less.
Key Performers for Staunton:
- Cole Swiger: 4-5, RBI 2B, 2 R
- Eric Conner: 1-4, RBI 2B, R
- Braves Bullpen: 4.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K.
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston): ND, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 2-4, R
- Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary): 2-4, 2B
The Generals will have to sleep fast as they take on the Purcellville Cannons at home on Sunday night at 7 PM at Kate Collins Field.
Waynesboro Tops Staunton On the Road
There wasn’t much hitting going on Wednesday night at John Moxie Stadium at Gypsy Hill Park. However, the hitting that did happen was in timely situations. The teams combined for 7 hits all night.
The Generals struck quickly with a 2-out homerun from Chase Cheek (Duke) to move the score to 1-0 early on.
The story of the ball game came from Waynesboro starting pitcher Nathan Schneider (St Mary’s). He threw 5 innings of no-hit baseball while striking out 3. The one runner that reached base on him was via the walk in the third inning. Schneider has now put together some impressive outings. In his last 9.2 IP, he’s only allowed 1 hit.
The 5th and 6th innings are where the Generals did most of their damage. In the 5th, one-out back-to-back walks to Alex Brait (Florida Gulf Coast) and Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) started the inning. Two batters later, a walk for Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) loaded the bases. Jackson Webb (UCF) came through with a 2 RBI single. Gabe Montenegro also scored in the inning on a wild pitch. The score moved to 4-0 through 4 ½ innings. As mentioned, Schneider continued his dominance in the bottom of the 5th to set his team up for another good inning in the top of the 6th.
A walk to Dalton Wingo (UCF) with one away in the inning was the only baserunner on for Alex Brait, who unloaded on a full count pitch for his first homer of the year to move the score to 6-0. The Generals seemed to be in complete control.
The Braves managed to manufacture a run in the bottom of the 8th with a lead-off walk moving to second on a wild pitch, advancing to third on a long fly ball to center field, and scoring on a single. Through 8 innings, the score was 6-1 and the Generals had held the opposition to only 2 hits.
The Braves also tacked a run on in the 9th to make the final 6-2, but never really threatened the lead of Waynesboro.
Key Performers for Staunton:
- Dean Hermanson: 2-2, RBI
- Ryan Flores: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Jackson Webb (UCF): 1-4, 2 RBI
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 1-4, Solo HR (1)
- Alex Brait (Florida Gulf Coast): 1-3, 2-R HR (1), BB
- Nathan Schneider (St Mary’s): W (1-0), 5 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K
The Generals were rained out on Thursday night at home vs. the Strasburg Express, but will be back in action Friday night on the road in Harrisonburg. The Generals will be looking to avenge the loss they took at the hands of the Turks a week ago.
