RED LION – The Waynesboro Indians varsity baseball team leapfrogged four teams in the final two days to earn a home game in the first round of the 12-team District 3-6A post-season tournament.
A little over a week later, Waynesboro, seeded 7th, has leapfrogged its way to the district semifinals with wins over Cumberland Valley (1-0) and Red Lion (6-2).
The Tribe is a win away from its first PIAA tournament berth since 2002. Waynesboro travels to Lancaster County to face Hempfield in a semifinal game, Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
The 3rd-seeded Black Knights defeated Penn Manor 4-3 in eight innings on Monday. Meanwhile, Waynesboro jumped out to a 5-0 lead over No. 2 Red Lion and never looked back.
Waynesboro had just one hit last Friday at Robinson Field against Cumberland Valley on a bunt by Kellan Smith in the sixth inning. The Indians loaded the bases with no outs but was not able to score.
“Mason Gochenour threw his eighth complete game in 10 starts to become 7-2 this season,” said Waynesboro head coach Travis Hardman.
Waynesboro scored the game’s only run in the second inning, and Gochenour and the defense took over from there.
In the pivotal second stanza, Calvin Myers led off the inning and reached base on a wild pitch strike three. Tyler Caron and Brett Powell both walked to load the bases with two outs. On a 1-2 count, Smith got hit by a pitch to force in the run.
In the seventh inning, Cumberland Valley had runners at second and third base with two outs, and Waynesboro intentionally walked a batter to load the bases. Brett Powell made a great backhand play and flipped to Myers covering second to end the game.
Waynesboro enjoyed a much larger comfort zone against Red Lion.
Waynesboro scored five runs in the top of the first inning. Ethan Hotchkiss had a 2 run double, scoring Tyler Caron and Brett Powell. Mason Gochenour scored Hotchkiss with an RBI single. Bryan Benedict hit a two-run triple with two outs, scoring Logan Clapsaddle and Gochenour.
Sophomore John Kahl started for the Indians and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning.
Seth Dodson entered the game on the mound with one out and two runners on in the bottom of the second inning. Dodson pitched the rest of the game earning the win.
Red Lion led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single. The next batter hit a ball deep in the left-center field gap. Kellan Smith ran it down to make a great catch. He then relayed the throw, doubling up the runner who had taken off from first base.
