The Shadow
CULPEPER – With their win streak on the line and holding a one run advantage, Covington escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning to extend their winning streak to five games following a 5-4 victory over Culpeper on July 7th at Culpeper County High School.
The Lumberjacks never trailed the Cavaliers during their 5-4 victory. The Jacks’ pushed four runs across early on during the 3rd inning with help from the Cavs’ defensive mistakes that led to three runs scored during the inning.
Despite giving up four runs during the top of the inning Culpeper would come back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. However, the Cavaliers offense would go cold through the 4-8 innings.
While Culpeper’s offense was cold, so was Covington’s as the Lumberjacks could not take advantage of their bullpen having an outstanding performance. The Jacks’ offense was held to only five hits.
In the top of the 6th inning Covington grabbed a key run. After Dariel Castillio (1-for-4) put himself in scoring position on a stolen base, Castillio would score following an RBI groundout from Thomas Marsala (0-for-4). The run gave the Lumberjacks a 5-3 lead.
Covington would be pushed to earn the final three outs of the game in the bottom of the 9th inning. After the leadoff batter for Culpeper reached on a walk, Luke Wilkerson, who subbed in out of the bullpen to start the inning off, would settle by getting the second batter to fly out for the first out. Wilkerson would then peg the next batter on the first pitch to now put the potential tying run on base. With two on and one out the right-handed pitcher Wilkerson would get the second out on a strikeout.
After that, things would get even more interesting.
With Wilkerson still on the mound and needing one out to end the game, Connor Maryniak (2-for-4) would single to load the bases as the runners would be held up.
Now with the bases loaded and two outs Culpeper was a base hit away from potentially not only tying the game but winning it.
Command issues were already a problem in the inning for Wilkerson and would continue to be so as he would bean Jon Howard (1-for-4) on the fifth pitch of the at bat. It was the second batter Wilkerson hit in the inning and third total walk. This time it would bring in a run and would bring the Cavaliers a run away from tying the game.
The Lumberjacks would go back to the bullpen and called up Kevin Rodriguez who had only made one appearance to date to close it out. With Bennett Fryman (1-for-4) batting, Fryman made contact and drove the ball right to Spencer Williams glove on a line drive to right field for the final out of the game.
As a team the Jacks’ collected only four hits in the win. Williams, D. Castillio, Carlos Castillio, and Kaleb Henry all had singles.
It was the bullpen from Covington that delivered once again. In 6.2 innings, the Lumberjacks bullpen allowed one run and gave up four hits. In his debut with the team Jaxon Seritt (W) earned the victory after tossing 3.2 scoreless innings where he struck out five. Cesar Valera also made an appearance out of the bullpen and tossed two shutout innings, while fanning three.
Covington 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 – 5 4 1
Culpeper 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 – 4 9 2
W – Jaxon Seritt. L – Bennett Fryman.
