Generals hand Staunton its first loss

Waynesboro held on once again thanks to its bats while handing Staunton its first loss of the season 10-8 Friday night at Fishburne Military School Park at Kate Collins Field.

The Generals’ Tyler Graskewicz pitched a near perfect first four innings, giving Waynesboro a chance to convert runs.

Over the first three innings the Generals stranded four runners on base, two being in scoring position.

Ryan Mathews helped get Waynesboro out of a mini-slump in the fourth inning, leading off with a standup triple to deep center field against starter Josh McQuade.

Rhett Stafford grounded out to Donovan Huffer to plate Mathews.

The fourth inning was just a sign of things to come in the fifth.

With one out, back-to-back singles by Casey McElroy and Tony Caldwell put ducks on the pond for cleanup hitter Rob Kral.

Kral sent a pitch deep to right-center for a two-run double, Kral’s fifth of the season to lead the Valley League.

Another base hit from Mathews, this time of the single variety, scored Kral giving the Generals insurance with a 4-0 lead after five.

The bats stayed hot in the sixth when Austin Smith led off with a slapper that squeaked into left field.

A four pitch walk to Mark Dvoroznak advanced Smith into scoring position.

After several bunt attempts by Alex McClure were called back by either hitting the plate or just crossing the chalk on the third base foul line, McClure fisted a pitch into left to load the bases.

A McElroy RBI single and another Kral RBI double sandwiched Tony Caldwell’s sacrifice fly for a 7-0 lead.

Stafford padded the lead, redeeming Sunday’s 10-1 loss, with a two-run single for a 9-0 lead.

“When you have a nine-run lead that’s not how you want the game to go,” Waynesboro coach Andy Chalot said. “We did what we had to do though.”

After McElroy scored, the catcher’s throw to first base sailed into the outfield, letting Stafford take third.

Stafford was stranded on third, but the Generals batted around.

Graskewicz (1-0) was lifted after the offensive onslaught while recording seven strikeouts, one walk and allowed three hits over six innings of work.

“That’s what we like out of the starters,” Chalot said. “He gave us a good outing and if he wasn’t on a pitch count he could have given us seven innings.”

The Braves made a run against the General bullpen, striking for five runs in the seventh inning on five hits after managing just three base knocks over the first six innings.

Staunton rallied once again in the eighth, but Brooks Cullen came in with the bases loaded and no one out to induce a double play allowing three runs in the inning to preserve the 9-8 lead.

“When I brought him in, that’s what I was hoping he would do. He is around the strike zone,” Chalot added.

After Waynesboro tacked on one more run in the eighth, Chris Enourato picked up his third save after loading the bases.

Kral went 3-for-5 while Stafford put up a 2-for-3 effort.

Kral and Stafford also added three RBI each.

Notes: Joining the Generals for the game was pitcher Matt Shepperd from Tennessee Tech and outfielder Jose Rodriguez from the College of Charleston…Infielders A.J. Kirby Jones and Cory Kovanda will join the team for tonight’s game at Woodstock…Former coach Lawrence Nesselrodt’s jersey was retired in a ceremony in the fifth inning.