WAYNESBORO, Pa. – Someone said, “Baseball is a funny game.”
Well, whoever said that (it was Yogi Berra) left a lot open to interpretation.
An inning after Waynesboro coughed and sputtered and were lucky to give up just one run to Central Dauphin in the top of the first inning, the Indians put up eight runs in the home second stanza.
Waynesboro then added five innings in the third inning to take a 13-2 lead and rode the scoring wave to a 16-6 victory in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs. A run-scoring double by Rylan Nichols ended the game by the 10-run rule and ended the Rams’ season.
By winning Friday, the Indians (seeded third) earned another home game. The Tribe (17-4) will host 11th-seed Muhlenberg, who upset No. 6 Manheim Township 6-3 in a first-round game. The quarterfinal game will start at 4:30 p.m. at Robinson Field. The winner receives an automatic berth in the PIAA tournament.
Waynesboro starting pitcher John Kahl, who pitched all six innings, induced a lead-off groundout. He hit the next batter, gave up a single, and then CD scored on a bunt single. Kahl struggled in that opening frame after the 14th-seeded Rams’ hitters all crowded the plate.
But the senior right-hander adjusted to the lack of room on the plate. He retired the side in order in the second, and the Tribe went on to shell CD’s pitching to the tune of eight runs in the second and five more in the third to take what proved to be an insurmountable lead.
In the pivotal second inning, Waynesboro sent 13 batters to the plate. Nate Nystrom led off with a single, and Rylan Nichols was hit by a pitch. A pitch also hit Connor Earley to load the bases. Kahl helped himself with an RBI single. Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt hit a two-run single. A pitch hit Elijah Miller, and lead-off batter Riley Eaton delivered a two-run double. Miller scored on a Ryan Jenkins base hit, and Eaton scored on a single off the bat of Nichols. Jenkins crossed the plate when Earley hit into a fielder’s choice.
After the Rams plated a run in the top of the third, the Indians went right back to work on offense. They batted around, scoring five runs on four hits, two walks, and two errors. Jack Knepper had the highlight at-bat with a three-run home run. Eaton hit an RBI double and scored on Knepper’s homer. Nichols reached base on an error and scored on a Kahl double.
Leading 13-6 in the bottom of the sixth, the Indians scored three runs to end the game. Frazer-Hewitt singled and stole bases the rest of the way to make it 14-6. After an out, Eaton was hit by a pitch. He stole second base and then scored on a triple by Knepper. CD walked the bases loaded, setting up Nichols’ long double.
Photos by Toya:
