The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – The Covington Lumberjacks came within inches of victory Tuesday night at Casey Field, but a quiet night at the plate and a pair of early Harrisonburg runs proved to be the difference in a hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Turks.
The game opened with promise for Covington. In the bottom of the first, catcher Chris Fox from Ocean Springs, Mississippi stepped up and roped a double — his first of the season — to spark the offense. Fox later crossed the plate on a sacrifice by designated hitter Erick Melendez hailing from Kissimmee, Florida, who picked up his third RBI of the year, giving the Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead and a jolt of early energy.
But Harrisonburg answered quickly in the top of the second. After a leadoff single by Jared Seguin, who went 2-for-5 on the night and raised his average to .378, the Turks capitalized on a fielding error and a pair of well-placed hits to bring two runs across. Gabe Groppuso drove in one with a groundout, and Cameron Thompson added another RBI on a double — his second of the year — to give the Turks a 2-1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Covington starter Benjamin Amador (0-1) went two innings, allowing four hits and two runs — only one earned — while striking out none and walking two. Though Amador took the loss, his defense didn’t do him many favors, committing a costly error that extended the inning and led to Harrisonburg’s second run.
The bullpen, however, was a bright spot. Jeffred Fermin, a Sophomore at Miami Dade CC Kendall, entered in the third and worked four strong innings, giving up just two hits and no runs while striking out five. Fermin kept the Turks off balance with a mix of off-speed pitches and pinpoint command, dropping his ERA to 4.82. Following Fermin, Mike Palenzuela took over for the final three innings, giving up three hits and striking out three in a scoreless appearance. Despite a pair of wild pitches, Palenzuela showed sharp improvement, lowering his ERA from 18.00 to 13.50.
The Lumberjack bats struggled against Turks starter Daniel Davila, who was dominant through seven innings. Davila allowed just one hit — Fox’s double — and struck out nine. He issued two walks and hit a batter but rarely found himself in trouble, retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. Ryan Vaughn closed the door for the Turks, pitching two perfect innings and striking out three to earn his first save of the season.
As a team, Covington went just 1-for-26 at the plate and struck out 12 times. Jendy Gonzalez (0-for-4), Victor Lopez (0-for-4), and Denixon Suarez (0-for-3) were each punched out multiple times by the Turks’ arms, while Willy Méndez, who came into the game batting .333, was held hitless and caught stealing in the fourth inning.
The Jacks left just four runners on base, unable to string together hits in key moments. Meanwhile, Harrisonburg left 13 men stranded — a testament to the resolve of Covington’s pitching and defense under pressure.
With the loss, Covington drops to 0-3 on the season, but signs of improvement continue to show, especially on the mound. The team ERA dropped after Tuesday’s effort, and the bullpen appears to be settling into a reliable rhythm. If the offense can find its spark, the Lumberjacks could be in line for a breakthrough win very soon.
