06/02/2008 – Staunton News Leader
Staunton News Leader newsleader.com WAYNESBORO — Waynesboro’s season and home opener was over early Sunday night as the Generals hit the depleted Harrisonburg Turks with 13 runs in the first inning and cruised to a 16-4, Valley Baseball League win at the Kate Collins diamond. The Generals are the defending Jim Lineweaver Cup champions. Harrisonburg starter Tim Wheeler had trouble finding the plate in the first. After Ryan Danbury singled to open the inning, Wheeler walked three batters and hit one for a quick 2-0 lead. Jacke Healey hit a sacrifice fly to right for the first out and Kevin Villarreal singled to right, upping the lead to 4-0. After another walk, Wheeler was replaced by former Central Woodstock High School right-hander Jon Valen, but he fared no better. An error, two hit batters and another walk gave the Generals an 8-0 lead before Chris Enuaroto ripped a two-run single and Healey capped the inning with a three-run homer left for a 13-0 blowout. “It’s always good to win the opener and we did a lot of good things out there tonight,” Generals manager Lawrence Nesselrodt said. “We know they don’t have all their players yet, but we still got a good job on the mound by (Andy) Altemus and a lot of guys swung the bat well. But it’s a long season and we haven’t got everybody yet either, but it was a good start.” Altemus got the win with seven inning of work. He allowed two runs on seven hits, while walking one and striking out three. Danbury led the Waynesboro attack with a 3-for-4 night. Evan Webb also had a home run and three RBIs. Rhet Stafford had two hits for the Generals. Brett Stewart led the Turks with three hits. The Turks (0-2) have only 14 players on the roster now and will have to gut it out until the players they have in the college playoffs get into town. Valen gave the Turks a yeoman’s effort with six innings of work. He allowed nine runs on nine hits, while walking two and striking out two. Pat Luring’s RBI single to left in the sixth finally got the Turks on the board. Murphy’s solo homer in the seventh and Stewart’s two-run single in the ninth accounted for the other three Turk runs. The Generals (1-0) travel to Woodstock tonight and to Front Royal on Tuesday before returning home on Wednesday for a visit from Luray. The Turks just hope some players show up soon so they don’t want to fall too far behind in the race. HARRISONBURG 000 001 102 — 4 8 2 WAYNESBORO (13)00 012 00x — 16 11 2 Wheeler, Valen (1), Castleberry (7) and Pericht. Altemus, Rhodes (8) and Villarreal, Stafford (8). W — Altemus. L — Wheeler. HR — Healey (W) 1st, two on; Webb (W) 5th, none on; Murphy (H) 7th, none on.