The Shadow
Despite outhitting their opponent 12-7, the Covington Cougars saw an early lead slip away from them as the Parry McCluer Fighting Blues took advantage of the Cougars mishaps to advance in the Pioneer District tournament following their 9-6 semifinals victory on Wednesday evening in Buena Vista.
Coming into the semifinal matchup, the Cougars were 0-2 against the Fighting Blues during the regular season and had only scored two runs across 13 innings.
In their semifinal game, the Cougars had started the game off with a four run lead after the first two innings, saw their lead evaporate within an inning. As we know in baseball and softball, one big inning can derail a team. The Fighting Blues, had two of them.
The Cougars committed eight errors in the game which resulted in eight unearned runs.
Ashton Cook (L, 2-for-4), did all he could on the mound for the Cougars as he pitched another complete game. Through his seven innings pitched, Cook, gave up nine runs, with one of them being earned. Cook, did strike out five in his complete game while also giving up seven hits, and two walks.
The Cougars finished with four players collecting two or more hits. Hayden Rodgers (3-for-5) and Brady Howard (3-for-3), led the Cougars with three-hit performances.
Meanwhile, Levi Dressler (1-for-3), led the team with two RBI’s. Ashton Cook (2-for-4) and Ethan Martin (2-for-4) each had a pair of hits.
With collecting five fewer hits than their opponents, the Fighting Blues finished with one player having a two-hit day. Maison Hamilton (2-for-3), led the Fighting Blues with two hits and scored a pair of runs as well. Jase Barger (S, 1-for-3), led his team with two RBI’s.
Although he gave up 12 hits, Chase Smith (W, 1-for-3), picked up the win for the Fighting Blues. Smith, lasted six innings on the mound where he gave up six runs (five earned) on 12 hits, while walking three and striking out eight. Barger, picked up the save for the Fighting Blues following one scoreless seventh inning in which he walked one and struck out two.
The Cougars opened the game with a two-run first inning. Following a leadoff single from Rodgers, Cook, bunted him over to second while reaching first on a throwing error from Smith. The error led to Rodgers scoring the games first run. Four pitched later, L. Dressler, ripped the ball into left field for an RBI single, scoring Cook to give the Cougars an early 2-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Cougars added two more runs to their lead. Following back to back one-out singles from Rodgers and Cook, Rodgers would come in to score on an RBI ground out by Dressler. Martin, on the first pitch to him drove in Cook to score on an RBI single to put the team ahead 4-0 after two innings.
The Fighting Blues would put their rally caps on early as the team scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4. With a runner on base following a leadoff walk, Cook, settled down and got the next two batters out. With two outs an a runner at first base, Cook walked the next batter and the following batter he hit which loaded the bases. With two outs in the inning, L. Dressler, would be unable to make the play on a hard ground ball hit to him at short. This would allow two runs to score, cutting the lead in half at 4-2. The next batter, Barger, ripped a two-run single into right field which tied the game.
After seeing their four run lead slip away, the Cougars didn’t hang their heads and came right back in the top of the fourth inning by retaking the lead on an RBI single by Howard. The Cougars went back ahead 5-4. However, the team missed out on a golden opportunity at adding more runs in the inning. The Cougars had runners on at first and second with only one out, but Smith would get the next two Cougars to strikeout to end their potential big inning.
As quick as the Cougars recaptured the lead, the Fighting Blues came right back to tie the game at 5-5. After a leadoff single from Hamilton, one batter later with one out, John Snider IV (1-for-3), crushed an RBI triple into right field.
The Fighting Blues who had one big inning already in the third inning, put together their second big inning of the game with another four-run inning coming in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a leadoff double for the Fighting Blues, Bartley, would reach first base on a fielding error by the Cougars which resulted in the go ahead run at 6-5 to score and giving the Fighting Blue their first lead of the game. Not done there, the Fighting Blues scored three more runs in the inning coming on three straight RBI singles from the team to take a 9-5 lead.
Now trailing by four runs, the Cougars would not be put away easily.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Cougars first three batters reached base. With one out now and the bases loaded still, the Cougars would cut the lead down to three runs at 9-6 after Tanner Hoke (0-for-3), reached base after he was hit by a pitch which brought the runner in from third base to score. Barger, would settle the game down as he came in relief of Smith. Barger, coming in with the bases loaded and one out, would record the games final two outs without giving up another run and ending the Cougars potential rally.
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
CHS 2 2 0 1 0 0 1 6 12 8
PHS 0 0 4 1 4 0 x 9 7 2
Cougars Batting
Batter AB H RBI R W SO
Rodgers 5 3 0 2 0 1
Cook 4 2 0 2 0 0
L Dressler 3 1 2 0 1 0
Martin 4 2 1 0 0 0
Howard 3 3 1 1 0 0
Conner 2 1 0 0 2 1
Bostic 3 0 0 0 1 2
Staunton 4 0 0 0 0 4
Hoke 3 0 1 0 0 2
TOTAL 31 12 5 6 4 10
Fighting Blues Batting
Batter AB H RBI R W SO
Houck 3 1 0 2 1 1
Pruett 3 0 0 1 0 2
Bartley 4 0 1 2 0 0
Barger 3 1 2 0 0 0
Smith 3 1 1 0 0 0
Hamilton 3 2 0 1 0 1
Ramsey 2 1 1 1 1 0
Snider 3 1 1 0 0 0
Beverly 3 0 0 0 0 1
TOTAL 27 7 6 9 2 5
Cougars Pitching
Pitcher IP H R ER BB S0
Cook (L) 6 7 9 1 2 5
TOTAL 6 7 9 1 2 5
Fighting Blues Pitching
Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO
Smith (W) 6 12 6 5 3 8
Barger (S) 1 0 0 0 1 2
TOTAL 7 12 6 5 4 10
