The Shadow
COVINGTON – After having a day to rest due to their doubleheader with the Harrisonburg Turks being washed out on Saturday, July 15th, the Covington Lumberjacks (18-14) returned to the diamond on Sunday, July 16th and split their doubleheader with the Strasburg Express.
Both games of the doubleheader were held at Casey Field in Covington. The Lumberjacks played the role of the visiting team and picked up a 6-3 victory which was their fifth in a row.
Holding on a slim one run lead in the top of the fourth inning, Covington pushed across four runs in the inning behind three defensive errors from Strasburg.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Express found themselves back in the game as they cut the lead to two runs following a three-run inning. Michael OShaughnessy had a big two-run double to help put his team back in the game.
The three-run fourth inning for Strasburg would be the last time the team scored.
Javier Crespo helped get a run back for Covington in the top of the fifth inning on a sacrifice flyout.
With a three run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, Jacob Heath recorded a perfect inning to close the game out for the Lumberjacks.
Despite only collecting five total hits, Covington recorded their 18th victory of the season. The Lumberjacks grabbed RBIs from Crespo, Edinson Renteria Jr., and Christopher Watson.
Grant Adams earned his third win of the season after tossing five innings on the mound where he gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits. Adams also walked one and struck out six. Heath, who recorded the save, pitched two scoreless innings and gave up one hit, while striking out a pair.
Game 1
Covington 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 – 6 5 2
Strasburg 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 – 3 5 3
W – Grant Adams. L – Alex Rosario. S – Jacob Heath. 2B – CL: Alvarez. SE: OShaughnessy. HP – CL: Brown and Candelas. RBI – CL: Renteria Jr., Crespo, and Watson. SE: OShaughnessy. SF – CL: Crespo. SB – CL: Watson 2, Alvarez, Brown, and Crespo. LOB – CL: 4. SE: 2.
During game two of the doubleheader Strasburg came out swinging and had the hot bats as the team built a 5-0 advantage after just two innings.
With the teams switching the home/away roles, the Express grabbed a pair of solo home runs in the top of the first inning from leadoff batter Ben Wlliams and Joe Delossantos.
Already ahead by two runs, Strasburg added three more in the top of the second inning behind RBI singles from Anthony LaSala and Jayden Davis.
As Covington (18-15) remained scoreless through the first three innings, the Lumberjacks wouldn’t help their cause out defensively as the team committed a pair of errors in the top of the fourth inning that led to two runs scored for Strasburg. The Express would score three runs in the inning to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
Covington would add three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning behind RBIs from Michael Pavelchak, Edinson Renteria Jr., and Chenar Brown, but it would be too little too late as the team would be held scoreless in the final two innings.
In just his fourth game of the season Payton Waters suffered the loss for Covington. Waters, who took the start on the mound, gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits over 1.2 innings where he walked a pair, and struck out two. Zack Oswald, Tanner Walker, and Zaylen Perry made relief appearances.
The Lumberjacks only had four hits in the second game of the doubleheader and did not have a batter in their lineup in either the first or second game that recorded multiple hits.
As a team in both games of the doubleheader Covington went 9-for-50 at the plate.
The loss ended a five-game win streak for the Lumberjacks.
Game 2
Strasburg 2 3 0 3 0 1 0 – 9 10 1
Covington 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 – 3 4 3
W – Noah Hertzler. L – Payton Waters. 2B – SE: Davis. HP – CL: Alvarez. HR – SE: Williams and Delossantos. RBI – SE: Davis 2, Williams, Delossantos, Castillo, OShaughnessy, and LaSala. SF – SE: Castillo. SB – Davis and OShaughnessy. CL: Pavelchak, Castillo, and Ventura. LOB – SE: 7. CL: 6.
