WAYNESBORO – It’s been said that ‘Good things come to those who wait.’
That’s a dangerous words to live by for baseball. But they also say, ‘Baseball is a funny game.’
We can thank Joe Garagiola for the latter saying, and, on Monday evening at Robinson Field, Waynesboro American Legion Post 15 experienced the comeback of the ages against Chambersburg Post 46.
Trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Waynesboro’s offense came back from the dead. Post 15 batted around plus one and scored five runs to tie the game.
Just when some might have been thinking of the possibility of extra innings, Waynesboro put that notion to rest by scoring four more runs in the sixth stanza, and that’s how the game ended: Waynesboro 10, Chambersburg 6.
“A couple walks, you know?” said Waynesboro manager Dan McCleaf. “That’s all it takes sometimes to get a run. That’s how they go their runs. We walked a couple of guys, and they had four or five runs the next thing you know. Then the tables turned.”
It’s been an up-and-down season for Waynesboro. It entered the final week of the season below .500 overall and in the Franklin County American Legion League. Two wins in the past two games brought Post 15 to 8-8 in the league and 9-9 overall. McCleaf is hoping his squad can take some momentum into the American Legion Region 4 tournament, which will be hosted by Waynesboro for the first time since 1996.
“We fought for that. We could have been a lot better, but I’ll take it, all things considered. We’re playing better. We’re playing better defensively, and we’re pitching better. It’s baseball. Anything can happen.”
Post 15 scored all five runs in the fifth inning with two outs.
Each team scored a run in the first inning. Chambersburg tallied five runs in the top of the third to take a 6-1 lead. Post 46 benefited greatly from walks, getting five of them, plus a hit batsman.
Post 46 starting pitcher Camden Helman was humming along. He allowed only two base runners in the first four innings.
The fifth inning proved to be Chambersburg’s undoing.
It didn’t look like it would be, because Waynesboro grounded out twice before Evan Swanson drew a base on balls. Dylan Morgan also walked. Brett Powell singled to load the bases. Logan Clapsaddle hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and singled home Swanson in the fifth inning, and Post 15 suddenly had some life.
Ethan Earley delivered a two-run double to plate Morgan and Powell. Earley and Clapsaddle came around to score on Aiden Campbell’s double to tie the game.
“We got a couple of balls up in the air and drove in runs with the bases loaded. That was a big hit by Ethan. Aiden followed him with a big hit.”
With extra innings looming, Waynesboro posted four runs in the sixth frame. Powell highlighted the inning with a two-run single. Clapsaddle added a third RBI with a fielder’s choice, scoring Morgan, who singled.
