The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – The Covington Lumberjacks gave the home crowd a thrilling late push Sunday night at Casey Field, but their rally fell just short in a 6–4 loss to the visiting Raging Bandits. Despite a gritty comeback and standout performances from several Jacks, the early damage proved too much to overcome.
The Bandits jumped ahead in the second inning, using a sharp two-run single from JT Anderosky to seize momentum. Anderosky tormented the Covington pitching staff all night, finishing 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, raising his season average to .328. He wasn’t alone in contributing: Jordan Evans added a 1-for-5 night with an RBI, while Hunter Miller, despite going hitless, drove in two with productive outs.
The Lumberjacks, meanwhile, couldn’t get anything going through the first four innings, silenced by Logan Larrance, who allowed just three runs over 4.2 innings. But things began to shift in the fifth.
Trailing 5–0, Covington’s spark came from the top of the lineup. Center fielder Tyler Tamargo, who had already reached base in the third, led off the fifth with a single. He would finish the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored, continuing to set the tone offensively and lifting his average to .333.
Following Tamargo’s single, shortstop Jendy Gonzalez joined the action with a base hit of his own—his second of the game in a 2-for-5 performance—bringing more life to the offense. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, catcher Martin Howell came through in the clutch, roping a bases-clearing double to left-center. Howell, who ended the night 1-for-5 with three RBIs, brought Covington within two runs and ignited the home crowd.
In the seventh, Tamargo was hit by a pitch and later came around to score on a wild pitch by Alex Pazos, tightening the score to 6–4. However, the Lumberjacks missed further opportunities, stranding 10 runners on base for the game.
On the mound, starter Rafael Peraza (1–1) lasted three innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits and three walks. Reliever Chase Ledger also struggled, surrendering three more runs over 2.2 innings. But the bullpen found stability late, particularly in Seastian Griffeth, who turned in 2.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief with three strikeouts, dropping his ERA to 1.64. Quindon Wright added a clean ninth, keeping the deficit manageable.
Though the offense showed signs of life—Jose Alfonso added a single in a 1-for-3 night, and Andres Gonzalez chipped in with a hit as well—Covington just couldn’t find that one big inning to complete the comeback. The Jacks are now (2-5) will host Charlottesville on Wednesday, first pitch 6:30.
Final Score:
R. Bandits 6, Lumberjacks 4
Linescore:
R. Bandits — 0 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 — 6 9 0
Lumberjacks — 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 — 4 7 1
