Generals take 5-game lead in South

By Cody Clifton Correspondent
Published: July 19, 2008

Patience and timely pitching, although not the most beautiful ways to win a ball game, always form a winning combination for Waynesboro.
Friday night was no different as the Generals walked their way to a 5-2 victory over visiting Covington at the KC.
The win gives the Generals a five-game lead over the second place Lumberjacks.
The Lumberjacks got to General starter Jake Cowan early when Rico Noel reached on an infield single. A wild pitch and single by Marcus Nidifer scored Noel giving the visiting team the early 1-0 lead.
Waynesboro managed to tie it up in the third when Greg Meleski doubled to the wall in left-center following a Gabriel Saade single to knot the game at one a piece.
The Generals never looked back in the fourth when three straight singles by Ryan Adams, Evan Webb and Derek Hamblen loaded the bases for Michael Parker.
Parker’s patience allowed him to walk to first on five pitches with an easy RBI, giving the Generals the lead for good.
“That was a big at-bat by Michael Parker,” Waynesboro coach Lawrence Nesselrodt said. “He’s a late addition to the season and has had only a few at-bats, but he’s very poised and worked a walk. Sometimes you just don’t know what will be a pivotal play in a ballgame.”
The Generals picked up one more run when Mark Dvoroznak grounded into a double play.
The sixth inning also looked kindly on the Generals.
After walks to Webb and Dvoroznak, Ryan Danbury and Saade singled and doubled respectively, adding a pair of runs to the score, allowing Waynesboro to pull ahead 5-2 with three innings left to play.
As bright as the plate discipline appeared, Cowan was the shining star.
Cowan pitched a complete game, keeping the Lumberjacks guessing with his breaking ball and location of pitches.
“I was commanding both sides [of the plate],” Cowan said. “I had some off speed pitches for strikes too, and that’s what went the distance for me.”
Cowan also lit up opponents with a unexpected fastball, striking out 11 Lumberjacks, throwing a season high 120 pitches.
“We were concerned about his pitch count,” Nesselrodt said. “We normally don’t let guys go but upper 90s and he was at 120, but he’s a well conditioned athlete and kept getting stronger.”
The Generals continue to rebound from losses by winning games and starting winning streaks. The Generals have lost two in a row only once, at the beginning of the season.
“You can exaggerate that all you want,” Nesselrodt laughed. “When it comes time for playoffs, you can’t afford to lose two in a row.”