The Shadow
HOT SPRINGS – Bath County had lost five consecutive games against rival Covington entering Tuesday’s game in Hot Springs. The seniors on the Chargers’ roster made sure that their final home game would not be the sixth.
A gutty pitching performance by Eric Gentry led the Chargers in the 6-3 victory. He allowed just five hits over seven innings of work, striking out seven. He also went 1-for-2 from the plate with an RBI and a run scored.
Fellow seniors J.M. Harvey and Eric Woodzell also had memorable performances in their final home games. Harvey finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Woodzell went 1-for-3 with a clutch two-RBI single in the fifth inning.
Bath County wasted no time jumping on the Cougars early. After Gentry sat the first three batters he faced in order, the Chargers went after Covington starter Cody Pritt.
Pritt struck out the leadoff batter but proceeded to walk Gentry. Derek Brinkley followed with a home run to left-center and Bath held the early 2-0 advantage.
Covington attempted to get the offense going in the top of the second but the Charger defense proved prohibitive. After Adam Simmons reached on an error by the shortstop, Gentry got Preston Waddell to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
The Chargers fired up the offense again in the top of the third. Dillon Fry got things started with a double to left and Gentry plated him with a single into right field. Brinkley followed with a single and the Chargers had two runners on with no outs. Pritt would masterfully escape the jam, however.
Pritt next struck out the power-hitting Harvey on three pitches and did the same with Woodzell in the following at-bat. The final out of the inning came on a Chris Nichols ground-out and the Cougars managed to exit the inning down 3-0.
Covington finally got on the board in the top of the fifth. Chad Lipes started things, reaching on an error by the third basemen. Aaron Fertig followed with a single off the wall in left. Leadoff hitter Shawn Perkins then drove both runs home with a double down the left field line and the Cougars cut the deficit to 3-2. Bath would answer quickly.
Chad Lipes came on in relief of Pritt in the bottom of the fifth.
Fry reached on an error by the shortstop and then stole second. Brinkley was then intentionally walked and Harvey plated Fry with a ground ball single to right. Eric Woodzell then singled to score Brinkley and Harvey and the Bath lead stretched to 6-2.
Covington managed one more run in the game, courtesy of the long ball in the top of the sixth. Simmons cleared the trees in left field off a 1-2 fastball from Gentry.
The win moves the Chargers into a two-way tie for second place in the loss column in the Pioneer District standings with the Cougars.
“What a great way to end the home careers for my four seniors,” Bath County skipper Chase Davidson said after the game. “To beat our rival and leave ourselves with a chance to win the district, you can’t ask for any more. We just gotta keep winning.”
Gentry was adamantly opposed to taking credit for the win, instead pointing out how well his teammates played. “It feels pretty awesome to beat those guys on Senior Night. I just want to thank my defense behind me for playing so well and everyone for getting the clutch hits we needed.
Credit goes to them,” Gentry said after the game.
While the loss all but kills Covington’s chances for an outright district title, the Cougars can still finish in a tie in the standings if they win out. Their remaining three games are all at home and each will have serious playoff implications.
“We just never got the hits we needed tonight. We didn’t take advantage of their errors and that was the difference in the game. We just need to refocus and win the rest of our games,” Covington coach Mick Strand said after the game.
Covington will be back in action with a game against Parry McCluer at Casey Field on Wednesday. Bath County will travel to Craig County for a match-up against the Rockets on Friday. Both games are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
