A slaughter rule does not take affect until after five innings.

When the vultures literally start circling the field in the fourth inning, maybe it should have been sooner as Fort Defiance drubbed Wilson, 26-0 in Wilson’s last tune-up before district play opens.

A four-run first inning was all Waynesboro needed Tuesday afternoon in a frigid non-district contest against Spotswood.

In a big district match up, Fort Defiance struggled early on, but got the big hit late to go along with clutch pitching on its way to a 3-2 win over Robert E. Lee on Monday afternoon.

In Fishersville on Monday, Nelson County’s M.J. Wells drove home two runs and Timmy Williams added his own pair of RBI in a 9-5 win over Wilson Memorial.

In a big district match up, Fort Defiance struggled early on, but got the big hit late to go along with clutch pitching on its way to a 3-2 win over Robert E. Lee on Monday afternoon.

In Fishersville on Monday, Nelson County’s M.J. Wells drove home two runs and Timmy Williams added his own pair of RBI in a 9-5 win over Wilson Memorial.

In Strasburg, the Buffalo Gap baseball team fell to Strasburg 9-2 on Saturday night in the Strasburg Baseball tourna-ment finals.

Joseph Lucas entered this season not knowing what to expect. The Waynesboro left-handed hurler had a new coach, new teammates and was charged with the task of being the Little Giants’ No. 1 pitcher.

Steven Brown’s wait to join the Little Giants varsity baseball team took a while.

Steven Brown’s wait to join the Little Giants varsity baseball team took a while.

More often than not, it’s not about how many runs are scored but when they are scored. Friday night was no exception as Turner Ashby handed Waynesboro a 2-1 loss in a rain-shortened, five-inning game.

STUARTS DRAFT — Fort Defiance senior pitcher Daniel “Righty” Wright had the weight of the world on his shoulders as he went into the final inning of play. With a no-hitter only three outs away, Wright kept focus at what he had to do. After striking out the leadoff batter and surrendering a one-out walk, Stuarts Draft’s Cole Beyeler stepped up to the plate and ripped a single through the middle breaking up the no-no.

FISHERSVILLE — Waynesboro held an early lead Monday night, but a strong fifth inning by Wilson put the Hornets ahead for good with a 6-4 win in the nondistrict rivalry game.

STUARTS DRAFT — After four postponements to start the season, Robert E. Lee finally hit the diamond, but had to take on Southern Valley District rival Stuarts Draft.

Waynesboro’s baseball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. After several games postponed due to weather, the Little Giants made the most of their opening game with a 2-1 win over Broadway on Friday night.

STUARTS DRAFT — Filling in for head coach Chad Coffey at the helm on Wednesday, Buffalo Gap assistant coach Chris Thompson proved that baseball is mostly a mental game during Gap’s 5-1 win.

GREENVILLE – A rough and intense game turned out in Riverheads’ favor as it beat Wilson Memorial 65-46 on Friday in Shenandoah District action.

PHILADELPHIA — Jamie Moyer remembers the delirious Phillies fans swaying from light poles, climbing trees, sitting on shoulders, doing anything they could to catch a glimpse of that 1980 World Series parade.

FORT DEFIANCE — Fort Defiance’s Daniel Wright verbally committed to play baseball for Radford University, a Division I school in the Big South Conference.

Stuarts Draft second baseman and pitcher Mickie Holbert has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Salem International University, an NCAA Division II school located in Salem, W.Va.
Holbert received a partial scholarship to join the Fighting Tigers.

The magic number for Post 340 is seven, but it’s not a lucky number as the men from the River City were trumped 13-3 by Orange Post 156 at Kate Collins Field on Tuesday night. The loss was the squad’s seventh straight loss in its winless season.
“We play well for five to six innings and if we get frustrated, we lose it,” said manger Gary Weatherholtz.

It was no surprise to some Waynesboro baseball players that coach Jim Critzer made his exit official on June 18.

Although the Little Giants were prepared, many were still mourning the final curtain call.

In the days leading up to Waynesboro’s second straight Group AA Final Four baseball berth, speculation was abound that it would be skipper Jim Critzer’s last season at the helm of the Little Giants.

Critzer put the rumors to rest Monday, confirming that for the first time in four years the Waynesboro baseball program will have to search for a new coach.

PULASKI
The end of the Waynesboro’s season came to an abrupt end on Friday morning, losing the Group AA semifinal 15-3 against Powhatan.
The Little Giants took the backfield like they normally do after a game to chat with skipper Jim Critzer.

PULASKI
With the heat index escalating to 100 degrees, Waynesboro fans took shelter beneath the covered grandstand at Calfee Park before the Little Giants and Indians met in the Group AA semifinals Friday morning.

PULASKI
Waynesboro gathered in left field, some staring into Calfee Park’s lawn, others looking past the mountain in right field and a handful watching their coaches make the final post-game speeches of the season.

PULASKI
Last season’s Powhatan juniors grew into this year’s “Blonde Bombers” as the Indians moved into the Group AA baseball finals after eliminating Waynesboro in the semifinals Friday morning.
The Indians’ bats were as hot as the broiling sun beating down on the beautiful Calfee Park.

PULASKI — Having used both aces in the state quarterfinals, Waynesboro and Powhatan had to pitch their No. 2 starters. It seemed fitting that whoever could score quick and often would win the game. Riding the powerful hitting of their No. 3 and 4 hitters, Powhatan hammered the Little Giants, 15-3, in the first Group AA semifinal of the day.

High school sports always throw them at you, these things we call “great stories.” Some get put into print and placed on the Internets. Others go untold to the general public, only talked about amongst those who know.

So let’s keep it our secret, OK? Let those hoity-toity big-city papers keep high school box scores buried on B10. Those guys have bigger fish to fry.

Let them opine on how the return of the Lakers and Celtics to the NBA Finals is the greatest thing since bread and its eventual slicing.

We’ll disagree and point over to Pickle Nuckols’ return to the Buffalo Gap football field in 2007 and say, “Whatever. Beat that.”

Waynesboro will dismiss the mere suggestion that Group AA semifinals make them quiver.
“Look, does that look like a bunch of kids that are nervous,” Critzer said pointing to the dug out. “We’re not nervous, what do we have to be nervous about?”
Last year the Little Giants were defeated by Hidden Valley at Calfee Park. Critzer shrugged off the do or die situation that his team faces today against Powhatan in the Group AA semifinals.