Generals fall two games out of 2nd

COVINGTON - Waynesboro came into Friday’s contest in need of a win to put it in a tie with Covington for second in the South Division, but fell three runs short.

The Generals got a strong outing from starter Matt Sheppard, but were unable to get runners in scoring position home in key situations, which doomed the Generals to a 5-2 to the Lumberjacks.

The Lumberjacks now have a two game lead over the Generals for the all important second-place spot in the division that carries a playoff berth with it. The teams will meet two more times before the end of the regular season.

“We can’t get to down on ourselves,” said head coach Derek McDaniel after the loss. “The guys are playing as hard if not harder right now than they have all season.”

The Generals had the hot bat early with Rob Kral and Alex McClure leading off the game with back-to-back singles, but the Generals were unable to get either runner home as Sean Bukovich went down on strikes and Tony Caldwell and Cory Kovanda both popped out to end the inning.

In the second the Generals were able to push across the first run of the game. Rhett Stafford led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. Evan Stobbs followed with a single and Brooks Cullen added a one-out single to load the bases.

Kral hit a deep sacrifice fly to center scoring Stafford to give the Generals the 1-0 lead. The lead would not hold for long as the Lumberjacks came rolling back in their half of the third inning.

Matt Sheppard had not allowed a hit until Covington got on the board with a solo home run by Andrew Caron to tie the game 1-1. The Lumberjacks added another run in the third when Junior Arrojo came home to score on a base hit by Lammar Guy.

The Generals continued the theme that had hurt them all night by leaving runners in scoring position. In the fourth a one-out single by Cullen and a walk by Kral were left hanging on base as the Generals were unable to get them home.

In the sixth a one-out double by Cullen moved Stobbs to third with one-out. With two runners in scoring position and only one down the Generals once again left the runners stranded in scoring position with the Generals only trailing 2-1.

“We were hitting the ball well, but it was just right at them and that happens when things are not well,” McDaniel said. “We pounded out 11 hits. We just couldn’t get any of the guys home, but I think the guys are approaching their at bats better and its showing.”

Sheppard settled down after a rough third inning and was able to set down the Lumberjacks hitters to keep the Generals in the game.

The Lumberjacks added to their lead in the seventh when they were able to push across two runs on relief pitcher Jeremy Dobbs.

The Generals were able to cut the lead in half at 4-2 in the top half of the eighth, but the Lumberjacks once again added an insurance run and were able to come away with the victory.

The Generals will be back at home tonight at 7 p.m. against cross-county rival Staunton.