Generals ride out the Rapids

LEXINGTON -- The Waynesboro Generals overcame a five-run, eighth-inning deficit Tuesday to defeat the Rockbridge Rapids, 8-7, at Cap’n Dick Smith Field.

Trailing 7-6 going into the ninth Rob Kral led off with a walk and Brooks Cullen was brought in to pinch run. The next hitter, Tony Caldwell -- who won Monday's extra-inning affair with the Rapids with a walk-off single -- came through with a double to left center as Cullen sprinted around to third.

The Rapids walked Jose Rodriguez to load the bases then Chris Enourato earned a walk forcing in the tying run. Ryan Mathews hit a deep sacrifice to right field that palted Caldwell for the eventual game-winning run.

“I knew we had to get to their bullpen. There starter threw a heck of a ballgame and I knew once we got to their bullpen we could get things together,” said Waynesboro skipper coach Andy Chalot.

Enourato the Southern Division Pitcher of the Week came in and struck out the side for his fifth save of the season.

“[Enourato] is flat-out the best closer in this league,” Chalot said. “I will go to him every single time in the ninth as long as he tells me he is ready. There is nobody else I would rather have in there in the ninth than him.”

Generals starter Tyler Almond had a rough first inning that should have ended with the Rapids off the board. With two outs in the inning and runners on second and third an error by Enourato scored Rob Froio from third and extended the inning for the Rapids.

“I thought Tyler [Almond] pitched really well for us tonight. All three of those runs in the first were unearned,” Chalot said. “I told the team before we broke the huddle that we have to start picking it up on defense.”

The Rapids took advantage of the error and the next hitter Michael Cheatham doubled to right-centerfield bringing home two more runs.

Dominic Favazz kept the Generals hitters quiet as the Generals went three up and three down in the second and third inning, before giving up his first hit of the night to Caldwell in the fourth.

Caldwell later swiped second base but was left stranded in scoring position when Rodriguez went down on strikes to end the fourth.

Mathews finally was able to crack Favazz in the top of the fifth with a deep solo-homerun over the first row of trees in leftfield to get the Generals on the board.

Mark Dvorznak and Alex McClure followed with singles. Kovanda grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out.

With runners on the corner Favazz caught Kovanda leaning off first base and had him hung up between first and second, but a quick thinking Dvorznak took off for home plate sliding past the tag to cut the Rapids lead to 3-2.

The Rapids regained their three run lead in the bottom half of the fifth when Joe Witikowski tripled to right-centerfield scoring two-runs. Witikowski later came home to score on another two-out error by the Generals.

The Rapids added an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth as Robbie Anston scored on a sacrifice fly by Froio giving Favazz a comfortable 7-2 lead going into his seventh inning of work.

The Generals put on a rally in the seventh loading the bases with one-out in the inning. AJ Kirby Jones hit a sac fly to the centerfielder scoring Dvorznak from third.

Waynesboro struck again in the top eighth loading the bases once again this time with no outs. Matthews popped out for the first out then Dvorznak was hit by a pitch that forced Caldwell in from third.

McClure went down swinging for the second out, but Kovanda picked McClure up by slapping a single to shallow center to score Rodriguez and Enourato cutting the Rapids lead to 7-6.

The Generals rallied in the top of the ninth to take the victory. The Generals will be back at “The Fish” tonight against Covington at 7.