The Shadow
WAYNESBORO, Va. (VR) – The Covington Lumberjacks were two outs away from victory on Thursday night, but the Waynesboro Generals mounted a late rally to walk it off 6–5, handing the Jacks a tough road loss after they’d led most of the way.
Offense came at a premium for Covington, who managed just three hits in the game but made the most of them. In the top of the fourth inning, with the Generals leading 1–0, the Jacks struck back. Justin Allen drew a walk and advanced into scoring position. Edwin Melendez, despite finishing 0-for-3 on the night, lifted a deep sacrifice fly to bring Allen home and tie the game. Moments later, Blake Opie stepped to the plate and delivered a clutch two-run double—just his second of the year—to left field, putting Covington ahead 3–1.
Waynesboro chipped away at the lead with a run in the fifth, but Covington responded quickly. In the top of the fifth, Willy Méndez singled—his lone hit in three at-bats—and later came around to score when Melendez added another sacrifice fly, this time giving the Lumberjacks a 4–2 lead. The RBI was Melendez’s seventh of the season.
Although Covington’s offense slowed, they remained patient at the plate. Opie, who finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks, was a bright spot, while Dariel Castillo added a single in the second inning and scored a run. The rest of the lineup struggled to find footing: Tyler Tamargo went 0-for-4, Andres Gonzalez was also hitless in four trips and committed two errors at shortstop—his 10th and 11th of the year. The Jacks’ batting line finished at 5 runs on 3 hits, leaving five men on base.
On the mound, Rafael Peraza got the start, allowing two hits and one earned run over 3.1 innings. He issued three walks but limited damage. Mike Palenzuela followed with 2.2 innings of relief, giving up just one unearned run while striking out two. Holding a 4–2 lead entering the seventh, the Jacks turned to Quindon Wright, who was charged with three runs (only one earned) over two innings as Covington’s defensive miscues came back to bite.
The Generals made their move in the bottom of the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of fielding errors and timely contact. Daniel Smith, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, helped key the rally alongside Seth Buchanan, who drove in a run with his second hit of the night. Waynesboro tied it up at 4–4 before Covington once again scratched across a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth—Opie walked and eventually came home on a passed ball.
But in the bottom of the ninth, Jason Bello, who had shifted from third base to the mound, was unable to slam the door. The Generals opened with back-to-back hits and tied the game when Julian Fichera, hitless in two at-bats, lifted a sacrifice fly. Parker Wight, despite an 0-for-3 night, then ended it with a sac fly of his own, allowing pinch-runner Noah Murray to score the winning run.
The final lines told the story of a game that slipped away late. Covington posted 5 runs on just 3 hits, while Waynesboro tallied 6 runs on 7 hits, aided by 7 walks and three Covington errors.
