Box Score

Photo Credit: Michael Terndrup

BY MATTHEW HARVEY

North champion Strasburg out-slugged South champion Waynesboro 7-6 to win Game 1 of the 2016 VBL championship series. 

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Express third baseman Carter Pharis scored on a wild pitch from General pitcher Dylan Burns on what would prove to be the winning run.

Brandon Quaranta was explosive tonight, going 2-for-3 with a home run and driving in four runs. His first inning three-run homer gave the Express an early 3-0 lead. 

Later on in the third, Quaranta knocked in an RBI single to kick off a three-run inning. He also came in to pitch in the last two innings to secure the save, recording four strikeouts. 

Waynesboro battled back throughout the night, taking a 4-3 lead in the second inning from a Brent Sakurai two-run triple and Sam Palensky’s two-run single. In the seventh, Zach Sterry plated two runs with a two-run home run to bring the score to 7-6.  As hard as the Generals fought, they could not get enough to overcome the deficit. 

Both starting pitchers, Brett Sasse of Waynesboro and Jared Silva of Strasburg, were out of the game by the fourth inning. Strasburg’s Ryan Johnson secured the win, while Sasse took the loss.   

This marked the first postseason loss of these playoffs for Waynesboro.  The Generals take the series home Friday night to Kate Collins Field hoping to stave off elimination and even the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 pm.