After finishing in fifth place in the final regular season standings of the Valley Baseball League’s summer, the Charles Town Cannons entered the circuit’s playoffs along with seven other teams.

In the first round of the postseason, Charles Town faced fourth-seeded Staunton. After defeating the Braves in the opener of the best-of-three series, the Cannons came home but lost the next night. Going back down Interstate-81 to Staunton for the third and decinding game didn’t seem to bother the Cannons because they handed the Braves a season-ending loss.

Meanwhile, sixth-seeded Strasburg had eliminated third-seeded Front Royal in another first-round series.

Charles Town hosted the Express in the opening game of the second round. And the Cannons won those games . . . as well as the next night in Strasburg . . . to sweep the abbreviated two-game series and move into the championship round.

Waynesboro, the second-seeded team in the playoffs, opened its postseason schedule by eliminating Aldie in two games, winning both at home and on the road.

In the second round, the Generals played eighth-seeded Covington. Waynesboro won a close game at home to open the best-of-three series but then was blanked 9-0 in Covington, forcing a third and deciding game.

Back in Waynesboro again, the Generals stymied a last-inning rally by Covington to win, 4-3.

Because the Generals are the second seed and Charles Town finished fifth in the regular season, it was Waynesboro hosting the opener of the championship series on Aug. 4. The Cannons then hosted the second game at Sager Field on Aug. 5, taking the win at 8-0. The third game, necessary to decide the winner of the Lineweaver Cup, would have been played in Waynesboro on Aug. 6.

The Generals are seeking a second straight Valley Baseball League championship because they swept through the 2013 playoffs to claim last summer’s crown.