WAYNESBORO – Wednesday evening, the Waynesboro American Legion baseball team jumped out to a 5-1 lead against fellow Franklin County American Legion League opponent Shippensburg, Wednesday. But it wasn’t enough. Shippensburg rallied to tie the game, and after Post 15 regained the lead 6-5, the visitors came back again to score twice in the top of the seventh. Fireball pitcher Tucker Chamberlin came on in relief in the bottom of the seventh inning and struck out the side to preserve the win. It was that blend of the good and the bad (not ugly though), as Waynesboro’s offense produced enough runs that, in ordinary situations, would be enough to win a game. However, timely hits by Shippensburg and too many runners left on base for Waynesboro combined to ultimately give Post 223 the edge in this one. Neither team scored in the first inning. Then, Shippensburg grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, only to watch as Waynesboro sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning and scored five runs. In that inning, Ethan Earley led off with a single. Tyler Caron walked, and John Kahl’s RBI single tied the game. Starting pitcher Blake Daywalt hit into a run-scoring ground out. Brett Powell singled home Kahle for the third run of the inning. After another out, leadoff batter Dylan Morgan walked. So did Logan Clapsaddle. Ethan Hotchkiss sent Powell home with a single, and Earley walked to force home Morgan. But Post 223 chipped away at the four-run deficit, starting with a two-run third inning. Shippensburg tied the game with two more runs in the fourth frame. Waynesboro probably wished it had punched across another run, or maybe two, in the second inning. As it stood, Post 15 left two runners on in the second. Waynesboro was set down in order in the third inning. It looked like the hosts might get something going in the fourth inning but Post 15 left two runners aboard. After an unproductive fifth inning, Waynesboro sent six batters to the plate in the sixth but was thwarted again when it left the bases loaded again. “We left too many runners on base,” said Waynesboro coach Troy Witte. You can’t do that against a team like that.” The loss drops Waynesboro to 5-6 on the season. Post 15 next plays Friday at Biglerville and another road trip on Saturday against Martinsburg (West Virginia). Waynesboro will then play its final four regular-season games at home against St. Thomas (July 3), Greencastle (July 5), McConnellsburg (July 7), and Chambersburg (July 10).
