Generals pitching coach Derek McDaniel did not hesitate to hand the ball to freshman hurler Jake Cowan late in the season.

Pitching and defense are normally Waynesboro’s keys to victory. Sunday they failed them to the tone of five errors and eight runs given up by starter Jeff Sinkiewicz in a 14-5 loss to New Market at the KC.

Patience and timely pitching, although not the most beautiful ways to win a ball game, always form a winning combination for Waynesboro.

LURAY — Fans were on the edge of their seats, the tension was thicker than the humidity that had worked its way into Bulldog Park and Vienna pitcher Jimmy Duggan toed the rubber for the visitors against Waynesboro.

The Generals extended their first place lead in the South Division over Covington to four games on Monday night defeating last place Front Royal 9-3 at Kate Collins field.

After a break on Sunday thanks to the weather, Waynesboro is back to the grindstone for the final 13 games of the season, including Monday’s game against the North’s last-place team, Front Royal, and today’s game against the No. 1 team in the country, Vienna.

General’s coach Lawrence Nesselrodt said that he would approach the final weeks of the regular season the same as he did from opening day.

Back home

It’s all about bragging rights, a little national recognition and maybe a bump in the rankings.
On Tuesday, Waynesboro and Luray will play the No. 1 ranked collegiate wooden bat team in the nation, Vienna, of the Clark Griffith League, in an exhibition game at Luray.

COVINGTON — The pre-game festivities of the 60-yard dash and home run derby were some of the most exciting events at Valley Baseball League All-Star game on Sunday afternoon.

Both starting pitchers were as close to perfect as they could be, giving up one run combined.
Fauquier rallied in the ninth against Waynesboro on Wednesday night to knot the score 4-4, but the Generals stopped the surge scoring in the tenth.
Grant Buckner hit a sacrifice fly with bases loaded and one out to give Waynesboro the 5-4 win.

The Generals are 13 games into the season and the grind of the Valley League schedule is beginning to set in for the players and coaching staff. But even with 13 down, coach Lawrence Nesselrodt is still looking for players to add to the roster.
“It’s difficult,” he said before Thursday’s game against Covington. “Most of the fish are out of the pond, but [assistant coach] Derek [McDaniel] and I together, we found eight names [Thursday]. It’s as much about timing as anything, you just got to have faith that the timing works out.”

What a difference a day can make.
After striking out 18 times Wednesday night against Staunton, Waynesboro pulled out the heavy lumber against first-place Covington to win 7-3 and take a half-game lead of the Valley League’s South Division on Thursday night

Staunton ended a three-game losing streak, once again baffling a strong Waynesboro lineup, 3-1, Wednesday night at the KC.
The loss knocked Waynesboro out of first place in the South Division of the Valley League. Covington leads by half-a-game and will get a chance to extend its lead tonight when the team travels to Waynesboro.

The first meeting of 2008 between last season’s Valley Baseball League finalists proved to be all wet.
With the Waynesboro Generals leading the Luray Wranglers 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky just past the outfield of Kate Collins Field, interrupting the game. The slight drizzle that had begun an inning earlier turned into heavier drops as the players and fans scurried for cover.