Waynesboro sweeps TA

By Robert Sisk

Published: May 13, 2008

Turner Ashby thought its game against Waynesboro started at 7 p.m., but late in the afternoon were told the game started at 6 p.m. The Knights made it to the KC in time, but they didn’t show up until late.
“We thought the game was at seven and we found out at four it wasn’t,” said TA coach Ritchie Anderson. “We came down here and [the Little Giants] were ready.”
Waynesboro defeated Turner Ashby once already this season, a feat that few other Little Giants have accomplished on the diamond, but on Tuesday Waynesboro completed a regular season sweep of the Knights with an 8-7 win.
The Waynesboro coaching staff huddled around the dugout after the win, debating when the last time the team had swept the Knights, but no one could find an answer.
“You gauge your team against Turner Ashby,” said Waynesboro coach Jim Critzer. “We swept them and I don’t know if that has ever been done in the history of Waynesboro baseball.”
Early in the game, the Knights looked like they had recovered from their first loss to Waynesboro, taking an early two run lead when Daniel Bowman (11) hit a two-run homer over the left field fence of Little Giant southpaw Jeremy Hahn.
“I knew it was Daniel Bowman and those are routine for him,” Hahn said. “I hung a curve ball and as soon as he hit it I knew it was gone so I just shook it off and didn’t throw that pitch again.”
Hahn was sick for most of the day, but still put in six innings of work, walking just two batters.
“I was sick this morning at breakfast, and the coach told me I was throwing far as I could,” Hahn said. “I came out here and started feeling better already.”
Waynesboro quickly rallied back in the bottom of the first, with some help from Knights pitcher Rodney Barton. Barton hit the Giants leadoff batter Terrell Thompson then walked Eric Hall, Jay Thompson and Josh Craig. Terrell Thompson scored on a passed ball, Eric Hall crossed the plate on a throwing error and Jay Thompson scored on a wild pitch. Criag later scored when Stevie Moreland hit an infield grounder that Turner Ashby threw away at first.
“Them scoring all those runs got my confidence back up,” Hahn said. “I wanted to keep my team in the ball game, because one through nine they can hit. There whole line up can hit.”
The Little Giants were on a roll, keeping TA from crossing the plate, while racking up their own score. In the second Terrell Thompson scored again on a Jay Thompson RBI single. The Little Giants’ speedster wasn’t finished making trips across the plate, scoring once more in the fifth on an Eric Hall sacrifice fly.
Meanwhile, Hahn was making up for his poor first inning performance giving up only two hits and one run in the next five innings. TA’s run started in the sixth when Josh McNett scored on a Clark Adams RBI single to make the score 8-3.
The Knights finally got off the bus in the top of the seventh, while the Little Giants were looking to put the game away with Joseph Lucas coming in for Hahn.
Kyle Craun led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a Kevin Bocock single. Bowman plated Craun with a single. The Little Giants were able to get Tyler McForland out on a routine groundball, but did not stop TA’s rally.
Tanner Croy (7) hit a three-run homer over the left field fence to pull the Knights with in one.
With their sweep in the balance, Lucas forced McNett to fly out to right for the Knights second out and struck out Aaron Swoope to end the inning and game.