Generals on the brink of missing playoffs

Covington came out to score in only two innings, but that was more than enough to take a 4-2 win over Waynesboro on Sunday.

With the loss Waynesboro’s chances at making the playoffs are slim. The Generals need to win their next four games and have the Lumberjacks lose three out of five of their upcoming games to make the postseason. Covington sits three-and-a-half games above Waynesboro in the standings. Waynesboro has four games left in the season.

Waynesboro’s loss also locked rival Staunton into the playoffs. Currently the Braves hold a four-game lead over the Lumberjacks.

Both teams stayed scoreless up until the fifth inning when the Lumberjacks’ JJ Muse, with one out and two runners on base, hit a solid liner to left scoring Richie Rodriguez. Ryan Durrence then ripped one up the middle for the Jacks for a two-run RBI, scoring both Muse and Lammar Guy.

“Both pitchers were being very efficient,” said Covington coach James Conrad. “We broke through in the fifth, which gave us some momentum. Their [Waynesboro] pitcher was getting tired and it gave us command.”

The Generals came out hot in their next at bat with Cory Kovanda leading off with a line drive up the middle. Rhett Stafford followed with a hard hit to the left field fence, scoring Kovanda, but was tagged out at third, putting the score at 3-1. Ryan Matthews came up to drive one to left field as well, but was left on base as the next two batters both flew out. “You never know what’s going to happen in that situation,” said Waynesboro coach Derek McDaniel. “We were aggressive and I’ll never tell my kids not to be aggressive.”

Covington answered in the sixth with another run when a hard shot down the third base line from Guy got him a stand up double. Muse then drove in Guy with a shot to center, putting the score at 4-1.

Waynesboro stepped up in the eighth to put another run on the board. Brooks Cullen dug in, with one out, and dropped one in short center field. After another out, Tony Caldwell then came in to rip one to left field, scoring Cullen and putting the Generals behind by only two runs.

“Brooks has been playing well for us, he’s had like seven hits in three nights,” McDaniel said.

The ’Jacks put Ryan Shook on the mound for relief in the final inning, but after walking two and striking out one, the Generals stood a chance. A pop fly from Mark Dvoroznak put it at two outs with two on, sending Tyler Biddix to the plate.

“That’s been all year for us,” McDaniel said. “It’s not like we don’t get people on base, we get guys on base a lot. We’re just hitting the balls right at people.

“You come out and play hard, it just seems like you can’t get a break. My kids could fold anytime they wanted, but they don’t. A lot of teams would throw their hands up, but these kids play till the end.”

“The real story here is Cassidy McDaniel,” Conrad said. “Pitching eight innings with only two runs is going to give us a good chance to win every time.”