WAYNESBORO, Pa. – The Waynesboro Indians varsity baseball team put on their rally caps Friday, May 1, versus the New Oxford Colonials at Robinson Field.
Waynesboro trailed 4-3, entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Suddenly, the offense kicked it up a notch and scored four runs to take a potentially commanding lead with only one inning to play.
The Tribe made it interesting, as the Colonials posted a run and had runners on second and third with two outs. Relief pitcher Chance Hall, who came on to replace starter Jack Knepper in the fifth frame, got Carter Wagaman to fly out to center fielder Rylan Nichols to end the game.
Final score: Waynesboro 7, New Oxford 5.
The win brings the Tribe’s record to 12-4 with four games to play – at Shippensburg, James Buchanan and Carlisle. Waynesboro will complete a suspended game against J.B. and play a scheduled home game against the Colonials after the completion of the suspended game.
New Oxford came into the game with a respectable 12-6 record. The Colonials looked as though they could have notched win number 13. But the Indians aren’t too shabby. Head coach Travis Hardman’s bunch sported an 11-4 record going into the non-conference game and were ranked in the top 14 in the District 3-6A power rankings.
Waynesboro trailed 3-2 in the home fourth but tied the game when Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt reached on a base hit, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a passed ball.
New Oxford pushed a run across the plate in the top of the sixth, but then came the bottom of the sixth.
The Indians batted around in the inning and scored four runs to take a 7-4 lead into the top of the seventh. Nichols tied the game with a nifty solo home run to right field. The sound of the bat made it almost obvious that the ball was going over the fence. Just like that, the game was tied.
But the Tribe wasn’t finished. After an out, Frazer-Hewitt (3 for 3, two runs) singled. Elijah Miller doubled, and Frazer-Hewitt scored on an error. Braedon Bowers singled home Miller for what proved to be the winning run. Bowers closed the scoring on a two-out single by Ryan Jenkins.
Photos by Toya McCleary:
