COVINGTON, VA- The Covington Lady Cougars took home a 4-1 victory over Roanoke Catholic on Monday, April 3 in a game that saw Kayla Bartley continue her stellar season on the pitcher’s mound.
The Lady Celtics’ Harper Sawyer hit a solo homer in the first off of Bartley to put Roanoke Catholic up 1-0, but that would be all they would get as Bartley was dialed in from that point forward.
Covington’s offense was stagnant, and it looked as if the contest was going to be a pitcher’s duel, until the bottom of the second inning. Bartley walked and then helped her own cause when she scored on a wild pitch to even the score up at 1-all.
With the way Bartley was throwing, the Cougars pulled away for good with one run in the fourth inning when Gabby Marshall hit an RBI single that scored Taylor Stayton. It was a backbreaker for Roanoke Catholic as Stayton was on base because of a dropped third strike at the plate when she struck out.
Covington put the nail in the coffin when Brooklynn Hicks ripped a 2-run double to center that scored Addison Morris and Bartley.
Bartley was the winning pitcher. The right-hander gave up just one run on two hits over seven innings and struck out nine.
Kyra Leonard took the loss for Roanoke Catholic. She went six innings, allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out seven.
Covington tallied eight hits in the game. Laken Cantrell, Hicks, and Marshall each collected two hits. Hicks had two RBI’s and Marshall had one. Bartley scored two runs.
The Lady Cougars (4-2) are now on a four-game winning streak.