The Shadow
LEXINGTON, VA – The book on Covington High School’s baseball program has closed.
The Cougars suffered a first-round exit from the Pioneer District Tournament on Tuesday evening following a 13-2 away loss to the Parry McCluer Fighting Blues in five innings.
In the first inning, the seven-seeded Cougars jumped out to a two-run lead following RBI singles from Luke Conner and Tanner Hoke.
Covington’s lead would last for an inning.
After scoring a run on a Cougars error in the bottom of the first inning, Parry McCluer grabbed five runs in the second behind a hit batter, and three straight walks that brought in three runs. Tyler Wade followed by driving in two more runs on a two-run single as the Fighting Blues had taken a 6-2 lead.
Across the next two innings, the Fighting Blues would add seven more runs including a second five-run inning in the fourth. Walks again derailed the Cougars as four walks led to two of the five runs in the inning.
Parry McCluer won the game needing only six hits to score 13 runs. The biggest difference maker were the walks as the Cougars put nine on, along with hitting two batters.
Jake Barger led the Fighting Blues with a two-hit, three RBI performance in the team first-round victory in the district tournament. Barger belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning that gave the team an 8-2 lead. Meanwhile, Wade added two RBI’s offensively and, on the mound, following his first inning in which he surrendered two runs, Wade settled down and held the Cougars in check.
Ethan Martin led the Cougars with a two-hit performance at the plate. Meanwhile, Trey Cook, who had been dominant in his last two outings, was touched up for six runs (five earned) in 1.2 innings on three hits. Cook walked five and struck out six. Landon Arritt also was on the mound for the final 2.1 innings, giving up seven runs (three earned) on three hits, while walling four, and striking out one.
While the first-round exit from the district tournament ends the Cougars season at 4-17 overall, it also ends the baseball program for good. The Cougars and Alleghany High School will merge together this fall.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
CHS 2 0 0 0 0 X X 2 5 3
PMHS 1 5 2 5 X X X 13 6 1
Cougars Box Score
Player AB R H RBI BB SO
Rodgers, SS 2 1 1 0 1 0
Arritt, CF/P 3 0 0 0 0 2
Conner. C 3 1 1 1 0 1
Martin, 3B 2 0 2 0 0 0
Hoke, LF 2 0 1 1 0 0
Cook, P/2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
Crowder, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 0
N. Phillips, DH 2 0 0 0 0 1
Carper, 2B/RF 1 0 0 0 0 1
R. Phillips 1 0 0 0 0 0
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TEAM 19 2 5 2 1 5
2B: Rodgers
TB: Rodgers 2, Martin 2, Hoke, Conner
HBP: Cook
SB: Rodgers
E: Rodgers, Cook, Carper
PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO
Cook (L) 1.2 3 6 5 5 5
Arritt 2.1 3 7 3 4 1
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TEAM 4 6 13 8 9 6
Fighting Blues Box Score
Player AB R H RBI BB SO
Hamilton, SS 3 2 0 0 0 1
Barger, DH 2 3 2 3 1 0
Ramsey, 2B/P 2 1 0 1 2 2
Houck, 1B 1 1 0 1 2 0
Wade, P/2B 2 1 1 2 1 1
Coleman, CF 1 2 1 1 2 0
Prurtt, C 3 2 1 1 0 0
Holdren, RF 3 0 1 1 0 1
Mills, 3B 2 1 0 0 1 1
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TEAM 19 13 6 10 9 6
2B: Barger
HR: Barger
TB: Barger 6, Holdren, Coleman, Wade, Prurtt
HBP: Barger. Hamilton
SB: Coleman 2, Prurtt 2, Houck, Barger, Hamilton
CS; Holdren, Ramsey
E: Prurtt
PITCHING IP H R ER BB SO
Wade (W) 3.1 5 2 2 0 3
Ramsey 1.2 0 0 0 0 2
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TEAM 5 5 2 2 0 5
