Generals Drop 3rd Straight in Charlottesville
Back-to-back 3-run innings were too much to handle for the Generals on Monday night in Charlottesville. The Generals were only able to muster 4 runs on 13 hits.
Things looked promising in the early going for the Generals. They were looking to snap a minor 2 game skid heading into the home of the most recent Valley League Champions in Charlottesville. In the top of the 2nd, the Gens were looking for a huge inning after a leadoff single from Andrew Orzel (Wofford) was followed by a double by catcher, Alex Brait (FGCU). The Generals ended up only getting one run in the inning after a pop up to short, a sacrifice fly to deep left by Jackson Webb (UCF), and a strike out.
In the 3rd inning, the Gens started with three straight hits. Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss) led off with a double and was brought in by a Chase Cheek (Duke) double. Cheek was brought around to score immediately after that on an RBI single by Tanner Thomas (Virginia Tech). The inning took an abrupt turn, however, when Thomas stole second on a 3rd strike and the home plate umpire ruled Tyler Bielamowicz (Houston) leaned across the plate, deeming it batters interference. The score after 3 was 3-0 in favor of the visiting Generals.
It wasn’t until the 4th that the TomSox were able to crack Waynesboro starter Nathan Schneider (St. Mary’s). Schneider was on to work another inning and was ambushed by three straight hits and a walk to the first four batters, chasing him from the game early. Pat McColl started things out with an infield single. He was followed by two straight doubles to bring in two runs. Fred Villarreal (Houston) came on to relieve Schneider with nobody out in the inning and runners on first and second base. Villarreal was able to roll a double play ball to give him a chance to get out of the inning with the lead still intact. However, the next hitter scorched one to the right center gap. Tanner Thomas gave a leaping attempt, but couldn’t quite bring it down. The score was tied after 4 complete at 3-3.
In the 5th, the TomSox jumped right back on it. After getting the first out, Villarreal hit 2 batters and walked another to load the bases. One run was brought in on a slow roller to second base, moving runners to second and third with 2 outs. The TomSox took advantage of having runners in scoring position with a 2 out, 2 RBI single to push the score to 6-3 after 5 innings.
The Generals would make a small comeback attempt in the top of the 8th inning with 3 straight 2 out singles by Alex Brait, Tyler Trovinger (Oakland), and Jackson Webb. Webb’s was enough to bring in Brait to cut into the lead 6-4. The Generals left Trovinger stranded on third base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, the TomSox were able to do something no team has been able to do this year. They were able to get a hit and a couple runs off of closer Gio Soto (FIU). After all the dust settled in the bottom half of the inning, the TomSox lead 8-4. The top of the 9th proved to be unfruitful for the Gens and that score proved to be the final.
Key Performers for Charlottesville:
- Brett Centracchio: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R
- Nick DiPonzio: 2-2, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R
- Cameron Weinberger: W (3-0), 3.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Chase Cheek (Duke): 2-5, 2B, RBI, R, SB
- Tanner Thomas (Virginia Tech): 2-5, RBI
- Jackson Webb (UCF): 2-3, 2 RBI, SB
- Gabe Montenegro (Southern Miss): 2-4, 2B, SB, R
- Alex Brait (FGCU): 2-4, 2B, R
- Alex Harper-Cook (Tennessee): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The Generals will look to snap out of this cold stretch with a home game against the Harrisonburg Turks at Kate Collins Field.
Evan Gillespie’s Outing Spoiled in Loss to Cannons
Gillespie held the Cannons scoreless through 6 full innings Sunday night.
Evan Gillespie (Faulkner) shined on Sunday night against the Purcellville Cannons. However, a lack of run support ended up costing the Generals late in the game.
Both Gillespie and Will Guay, the starting pitcher for Purcellville, pitched well in what proved to be pitchers dual. The first run of the game came in the bottom of the 3rd for the Generals. Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary) worked a one out walk, Tanner Thomas (Virginia Tech) sharply singled, and Andrew Orzel (Wofford) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the clean-up hitter Chase Cheek (Duke). Cheek was first pitch swinging and hit a sinking line drive to left. Purcellville’s left fielder made a nice sliding catch but wasn’t able to throw out a speedy Kyle Wrighte on the sacrifice fly. The Generals would end up getting two more runners in scoring position, but failed to cash in. That seemed to be a theme throughout the night. However at this point, the Gens led 1-0.
Gillespie didn’t give up a hit until the top of the 4th, but still faced the minimum after he was able to pick the runner off at first base. He managed to get his 4th straight inning with only facing 3 batters. He had thrown 6 scoreless innings when he toed the rubber in the 7th. He gave up a leadoff walk that was sacrifice bunted to second. The runner then managed to steal third to set up Kam Armstrong for a sacrifice fly. The score after 7 was 1-1.
After a 3 up 3 down inning in the bottom of the 7th for the Generals, Hunter Shuff (USC Aiken) entered the ball game. After getting the first out, a swinging bunt started things off. After a fielder’s choice by Purcellville’s leadoff hitter Kenny Oyama, Christian Garabedian stepped in to face Shuff. Oyama would eventually steal second to put himself in scoring position. 3 pitches later, Garabedian smoked a ball down the left field line to plate the go ahead run in the top of the 8th.
The Generals would mount a small rally in the bottom of the 9th, only to fall a bit short. The final score in the ball game was 2-1
Key Performers for Purcellville:
- Christian Garabedian: 1-4, 2B, RBI
- Will Guay: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- Anthony Zimmerman: SV (2), 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Evan Gillespie (Faulkner): 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
- Tanner Thomas (Virginia Tech): 3-5
- Tyler Trovinger (Oakland): 2-4
The Generals will travel to CVille Weekly Ballpark to take on the Charlottesville TomSox on Monday night. Nathan Schneider (St. Mary’s) will be on the mound.
Generals Surge Late to Nip Strasburg
The Waynesboro Generals opened their home schedule at Kate Collins Field with a three run 7th and a four run 8th to post an 8-5 comeback victory over the Strasburg Express.
Usually in an 8-5 ballgame, there would be plenty of hitting going on. However Wednesday night, that was not the case. Strasburg opened the scoring with a bases loaded walk in the top of the second. That lead didn’t last long though, as Dalton Wingo (UCF) lead off the bottom half with a monstrous solo homer that landed, and eventually crossed, Hopeman Parkway to even the score at 1-1.
The scoring picked back up in the 4th for Strasburg when Austin Thompson ripped a 2-RBI single to centerfield off of starter Bryan Wilcox (Florida Gulf Coast). Two batters later Tyler Krabbe rolled a ball to third that was mishandled by General third baseman Tyler Trovinger (Oakland), allowing another run to score and lengthen Strasburg’s lead to 3.
After a few quiet middle innings, Waynesboro sprung for 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to tie the game at 4. Jordan Ammons (Mercer) came through with a one-out RBI single to right to drive in Jackson Webb (UCF). Later in the inning, Tanner Thomas (Tallahassee CC) hit a ground ball to Express first baseman Stephen Baughan, who threw the ball into right field to allow Ammons to score the second run of the inning. Two pitches later, a pickoff attempt caught Thomas in a rundown between first and second. When Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary) tried stealing home while Thomas was in a pickle, he was caught by Stephen Baughan. Later in the same at-bat, Thomas stole third and forced an errant throw from catcher Jimmy Jefferies, allowing Thomas to score the tying run.
Patrick O’Shea (St. Mary’s) replaced Hunter Shuff (USC Aiken) to start the top of the 8th, but allowed a leadoff walk to come around to score on another RBI single by Austin Thompson, moving the score to 5-4.
The Generals did most of their damage off of Strasburg’s Sylvester Toe in the bottom of the 8th. Toe loaded the bases and then walked in the tying run. He lasted 0.1 innings giving up four earned runs on one hit and 3 walks.
Jordan Ammons came through in another clutch situation with a sacrifice fly to right field to give Waynesboro the lead. After a balk, Kyle Wrighte hit a 2-RBI single to right field for some insurance runs. The score moved to 8-5 in favor of the Gens after 8 complete.
Gio Soto (FIU) came on to fire an impressive 9th inning to earn his first save of the summer, racking up 2 strikeouts in the process.
Strasburg Key Performers:
- Austin Thompson: 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 SB
- Jimmy Jeffries: 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R
- Garrett Richards (ND): 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Waynesboro Key Performers
- Dalton Wingo (UCF): 2-3, Solo HR (1)
- Jordan Ammons (Mercer): 1-3, 2 RBI
- Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary): 1-4, BB, 2 RBI
- Hunter Shuff (USC Aiken): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
The Generals (2-1) are back in action tomorrow night, June 7th, at home vs. the Purcellville Cannons (2-2) at Kate Collins Field.
Generals Outlast Royals for First Win of 2018
After three straight days of cancellations, the Generals finally got back on the field tonight at Bridgeforth Field, home of the Winchester Royals.
The Royals jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after 3 innings. Graham Ashcraft (Mississippi State), the starter for the Generals, had a shaky outing. Ashcraft’s line was 2 2/3rd IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 4 K. He gave way to Nick Parr (Oakland) in the bottom of the third with two outs and runners on first and third. Parr was able to escape the jam.
The General bats came alive in the top of the 4th. After getting the leadoff hitter of the inning, Tanner Thomas (Tallahassee CC), on with a single, the Generals had 3 straight singles to right field to score 2 runs. That was followed by an RBI groundout by Jordan Ammons (Mercer) to tie the score at 3.
The Royals regained the lead in the 6th when Matthew Holloway rifled an RBI single to left with the bases loaded and one out. However, Nick Parr worked his way out of another jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the 7th inning, the flood gates were opened in favor of the Generals. Waynesboro plated 5 runners on 4 hits, 3 walks, and a Royal error, moving the score to 8-4 after the top half. Chris Salvey homered in the bottom half to pull closer, and after 7 complete, the score was 8-5.
The Generals added an insurance run on a wild pitch in the top of the 8th, but were answered with two more runs from the Royals in the bottom to bring the score to 9-7.
Justin Beyer (Niagara County CC) came in and shut the door in the bottom of the 9th for his first save and the Generals’ first win of the season.
Key Performers:
Winchester Royals:
- Chris Salvey: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
- Samyr Santos: 2-4, RBI
- Ryan Kennedy: L (0-1), 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Waynesboro Generals:
- Tyler Trovinger (Oakland): 3-4, 2 RBI
- Kyle Wrighte (William & Mary): 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB
- Nick Parr (Oakland): W (1-0), 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
The Generals are back in action tomorrow night for their home opener against the Strasburg Express at 7 pm at Kate Collins Field. Probable pitchers are Bryan Wilcox (Florida Gulf Coast) for the Generals, and Strasburg native Garrett Richards (JMU) for the Express.
