By Craig Orndorff -- Daily Sports Correspondent

NEW MARKET — Stonewall Jackson out-hit Page County, but the Generals could never come through when it mattered in a 3-2 loss to the Panthers in a Shenandoah District game at Rebel Park on Tuesday.

Stonewall hasn't been able to generate offense consistently this season, but collected eight hits against Page County starter Allen Cloude. However, the Generals left five runners in scoring position, and the potential game-tying run was caught stealing in the bottom of the seventh.

Giovanni Guzman walked with one out in the final inning, then took off for second on Cloude's 1-0 delivery to Bobby Lin. The pitch was in the dirt, but catcher Chad Morris blocked the ball and threw out the speedy Guzman.

The gamble was Guzman's own, but he lost out on a superb play by Morris.

"In a normal situation I would've sent him, but [Morris] is a very good catcher," Generals' coach Bill Harlow said. "I had confidence in my bats at the top of the order."

The mistake was magnified after Lin blooped a single into right field. Andrew Marshall popped out to end the contest.

"We hit the ball, but the key to the game was those three runs really weren't earned," Harlow said. "Defensively we let down."

Though officially only one run was unearned, the Panthers scored twice in the third inning when a pair of fly balls were misplayed into doubles.

Stonewall (3-13, 0-8) tied the game in the fifth when Tim Loman and Guzman singled and Marshall walked to load the bases. First baseman Kyle Kennedy then singled to even the score at 2-2, and when the outfield throw went to the plate the Generals had runners at second and third. Yadiel Guzman then hit a chopper off the plate high over the mound, and Page County shortstop Brandon Hensley fielded and threw to first, beating the runner by a eyelash.

The Panthers (7-10, 3-6) took advantage of Stonewall's only error in the sixth. With one out, Tyler Parsell reached base when Kennedy couldn't handle Marshall's throw from third. Loman then threw a pitch to the backstop, and Parsell advanced to second just ahead of a bullet throw by catcher Giovanni Guzman.

C.J. Secrist followed with an RBI single to put Page County back on top.

Loman was the tough-luck loser, going the distance on a six-hitter. He walked only one and struck out two.

"Tim has been doing a great job," Harlow said. "One inning he was left out there a little longer than he should've been, but then he came back the next inning and threw three pitches. He's very reliable on the mound. Nothing phases him, and he's as strong as strong can be."

Giovanni Guzman led the Generals with two singles.

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