WAYNESBORO – The hits weren’t there, and the runs weren’t there either for the Waynesboro varsity baseball team in their game against Greencastle-Antrim on Wednesday at Robinson Field.
The Blue Devils were playing at another level against a Waynesboro team that has lost three of its last four games (another game against Big Spring ended in a 7-7 tie and will be made up later in the season).
The Blue Devils had timely hits against three different pitchers during a 9-0 win in a Mid-Penn Colonial Division matchup. Greencastle also took advantage of four walks, two hit batsmen and three Waynesboro errors.
The Indians (2-3-1) tried desperately to get something going at the plate but ran into a brick wall against G-A starting pitcher Landon Huth. Huth asserted his height and reach effectively on his way to striking out nine batters and allowing just four hits while walking two hitters.
Huth was throwing strikes using a nasty fastball, while his breaking ball pitchers kept Waynesboro batters off balance and swinging at pitches outside the strike zone.
Meanwhile, the Blue Devils capitalized on defensive mistakes and, after failing to score in the first and second innings put a dent in the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the third inning. Those two runs, compliments of a two-run double off the bat of shortstop Carter Reid, proved to be all the runs Greencastle needed.
In the third inning, third baseman Jared Szaflarski led off with a single. Austin Wyand reached base on an error, and after a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners a base, Reid delivered a shot into the gap in the outfield.
The Blue Devils were in good hands with Huth on the mound. Huth surrendered a single by Aiden Campbell but went on the strike out the next batter before inducing a ground out. Huth struck out the side in the bottom of the second frame while Waynesboro left another batter on base.
Trailing 2-0, the Tribe threatened in the third inning when Mason Gochenour hit a one-out single and Campbell singled. G-A benefited from a ground ball that was fielded by Reid, who turned to his right and fired a strike to third baseman Szaflarski for the second out. The inning ended on a fly out to Wyand in centerfield.
Greencastle-Antrim plated three more runs in the fourth inning and four in the sixth to put the game out of reach. The Indians were set down in order in the fifth inning.
The Indians left runners on first and third bases in the sixth inning. Relief pitcher Austin Simmons, aware that his team was on the verge of a shut-out win, set down the next three batters and got through the seventh after walking a batter with two outs and then watched as Wyand gloved a tricky fly ball to end the game.
Waynesboro will play at Cumberland Valley on Monday in a makeup game from March 25. Greencastle-Antrim (3-2) will host Northern York on Tuesday, April 11.
