WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Indians varsity baseball team put together its best effort of the season on Monday afternoon during an 8-1 victory over James Buchanan at Robinson Field.
Mason Gochenour pitched a gem of a game and there was plenty of offense to go around. Waynesboro scored two runs in each of the first and second innings, tallied solo runs in the third and fourth and added two more in the sixth.
Gochenour, a junior right hander, had arguably the best command of his pitches to date, and, according to Waynesboro head coach Travis Hardman, Gochenour (he also had three hits and drove in a run from the lead-off position), showed off his full complement of pitches.
“That was the first complete game,” said Hardman. “We scored the first five runs, which was nice to see It’s probably the best he’s looked because he had all three pitches. His changeup early in the game is what they were swinging at and then later in the game he brought his curve all in. He kept his pitching count down.”
Gochenour scattered five hits, including two doubles that proved to be harmless. Shortstop Aiden Campbell turned a double play, the first part by himself as he stepped on second base and threw to first baseman Ethan Hotchkiss to end the fifth inning.
“Aiden Campbell played well at short stop for us. That was our first infield double play this year. Tyler (Caron) had a triple for us; Ethan Hotchkiss got on base three times. A lot of guys contributed on offense.
The Indians scored twice in the opening frame as Gochenour singled, Hotchkiss was hit by a pitch, Caron was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, setting up Bryan Benedict who delivered a run-scoring single. Hotchkiss scored on a passed ball.
James Buchanan scored what would prove to be its lone run in the second inning, but Waynesboro answered with two of its own in the bottom of the inning. Dylan Morgan led off with a double. Gochenour hit a one-out single. He stole second base, and while he was doing that, Morgan stole home. Gochenour scored on a base hit by Campbell.
“We just have to keep improving, keep working hard to get over that hump,” Hardman said of the remaining games in the season, including a big one Wednesday at Boiling Springs.
Caron tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Benedict in the third inning for a 5-1 lead.
