The Shadow
WAYNESBORO, Va. (VR) – Saturday night in Waynesboro was a tough one for the Covington Lumberjacks — and not because the opposing bats were overpowering, but because they simply couldn’t stay out of their own way.
In a 12-2 loss to the Waynesboro Generals, the Lumberjacks committed five costly errors that cracked the game wide open and erased any chance at momentum. It wasn’t a case of being outplayed — it was a game Covington handed over one mistake at a time.
From the opening pitch, the Jacks struggled to execute cleanly. An early miscue set up a two-run first for the Generals, and the second inning saw things spiral further. The biggest blow came not off a bat, but off a throwing error from third baseman Dariel Castillo, his first of three on the night. Catcher Edwin Melendez also had a rough outing, adding two errors of his own, including a wild throw on a stolen base and a dropped third strike that extended an inning.
By the end of the night, those five errors had led directly to seven unearned runs. Lucas Rodriguez (0-1) started the game for Covington, lasting just 2.0 innings, giving up 3 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), and 3 walks while striking out one. He was followed by Mike Palenzuela, who threw 3.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits with 5 walks and 4 strikeouts. But the final blow came in the 7th inning, when relievers Nicholas Lowery and Micah Calvert combined to allow 5 runs, only one of them earned, as more defensive lapses extended the inning beyond repair.
On the other side, Waynesboro’s offense didn’t overpower — they simply took what Covington gave them. Gialdri Gomez led the charge for the Generals, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and 2 RBI. Seth Buchanan drove in two runs without recording a hit, and Andrew Ildefonso added a 1-for-2 night with 2 RBI, a walk, and 2 stolen bases. In total, the Generals scored 12 runs on 9 hits, benefiting from 11 walks and 2 hit batters issued by Covington pitching.
Offensively, the Jacks had few highlights. Tyler Tamargo went 1-for-4, Andres Gonzalez stayed hot with a 1-for-3 performance (.327 AVG), and Trevor Murray delivered the biggest hit of the night — a triple in the 5th inning, his first of the season. Murray later scored on a sacrifice fly by Willy Méndez, who now has 10 RBI on the year. Blake Opie also chipped in with a 1-for-3 night, scoring Covington’s second run in the 6th after getting aboard with a single.
As a team, the Jacks were limited to 4 hits in 23 at-bats, while stranding 5 runners on base. Meanwhile, Waynesboro played a clean game, committing no errors and leaving 9 on base, a testament to their consistency and Covington’s collapse. Waynesboro’s Jake Dickinson (1-2) earned the win with 5.0 innings of 3-hit, 1-run ball, while Jared Mathon closed out the final two innings to earn his first save of the season.
The Jacks will return to Casey Field on Sunday, as they host Woodstock. First pitch set for 4pm.
