CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – In game one of the 2021 Valley Baseball League Playoffs, The Charlottesville Tom Sox fell to the Waynesboro Generals 3-1 Saturday night.
Charlottesville leaned on VBL South all-star Dillon Janac (Rice) as the game one starter on the mound. Janac came into the game with the lowest opposing batting average of any Tom Sox pitcher at .140.
Janac commanded the game early on for the ‘Sox and his dominance on the mound helped keep the Generals at bay.
Offensively, the Tom Sox wasted no time scoring and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first.
Pierce Bennett (Wake Forest) led off the inning with a line drive into right-center, and following a single by Logan Amiss (VCU) and a walk by Wyatt Langford (Florida), RJ Ochoa (UTRGV) drew another free pass to bring Bennett across the plate.
However, the Tom Sox’s bats would become ice cold in the innings to follow. In fact, the ‘Sox wouldn’t get another runner on base until the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff double by Langford.
The Generals’ offense came alive in the top of fifth and piled on three runs to push past the ‘Sox. After being stifled by Janac early on, Waynesboro found a way to get past him and register some runs.
Following a lead off hit-by-pitch, an error by Bennett moved the Generals’ runners to second and third. Four straight singles would drive in three runs for Waynesboro, flipping the lead in their favor 3-1.
This would prove to be the last offense generated by either team.
Parker Stinnett (Mississippi State) would come on in the sixth in relief of Janac. In five innings of action, Janac struck out five and allowing four hits and three runs.
After allowing a handful of baserunners in the sixth and seventh, Stinnett settled in and struck out the side in the eighth to give the Sox some hope with just two more chances for Charlottesville to retake the lead. Stinnett finished the day with a season-high four innings, no runs or hits allowed, and six strikeouts.
The Tom Sox sent a leadoff trio of Brayland Skinner (Mississippi State), Adam Cecere (Wake Forest) and Wyatt Langford to the plate hoping to tie up the game for the Sox in the ninth.
Although Cecere drew a walk and Langford made it to third after reaching on a fielder’s choice, the Tom Sox couldn’t find a way to bring any runners home.
After going 10-0 at home since June 25, the Tom Sox have now lost two straight home games, both against the Generals.
The Charlottesville Tom Sox travel to Waynesboro on Sunday to take on the Generals in a must-win showdown for the ‘Sox.
A Waynesboro win would send the defending champion Tom Sox home without a playoff win, while a ‘Sox victory would mean life for Charlottesville and a winner-take-all duel on Monday at Crutchfield Park.
Additional Notes
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After reaching base four times in the first inning, Charlottesville reached just three times in the final eight innings. They went down in order in each of the second through sixth innings.
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The Tom Sox are now 3-5 against the Generals this season.
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The ‘Sox have scored one run in each of the last two games. They have scored 11 total runs over the last four after scoring 14 in Monday’s doubleheader.
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Charlottesville struck out double-digit batters for the first time since July 15.
