The Shadow
WINCHESTER – The Covington Lumberjacks find themselves just a game ahead of Staunton for the eighth and final playoff berth after dropping a pair of games this weekend.
The Lumberjacks fell Saturday at home to Woodstock, 12-2, before going on the road Sunday to Winchester and falling, 12-7.
The Lumberjacks pitching staff has surrendered 24 runs on 36 hits in the two losses.
In Sunday’s game, Winchester (19-13) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning, but Covington was able to scratch across a run in the second when Mike Martinez (Florida International) belted the first of his two home runs, a solo shot to left center.
Winchester added two more in the bottom of the third and another in the fifth to take a 6-1 lead.
Covington took a 7-6 lead after scoring six runs on five hits in the top of the seventh.
Michael Garcia (Eastern Kentucky) and Paschel Poston (Georgia Southwestern) singled. Both advanced 90 feet after Winchester’s Zach Keen was called for a balk and Brandon Turner (Bethune-Cookman) plated Garcia with a groundout to short.
Richie Rodriguez (Eastern Kentucky) ripped an RBI double to center field and Seton Hall’s Giuseppe Papaccio plated Rodriguez with an RBI single. Sherman Johnson (Florida State) coaxed a walk and Martinez followed with a three-run bomb to left field to give the Lumberjacks the lead.
The two home runs gave Martinez nine home runs on the summer.
The Lumberjacks led until the Royals plated six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off reliever Andre Vazquez (Florida International) to take a 12-7 lead and hang on for the win.
Virginia Tech’s Jake Joyce started on the mound for the Lumberjacks and earned the no decision. Joyce allowed six runs on 11 hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked one.
In Saturday’s 12-2 loss to Woodstock (13-18), three River Bandits jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after plating one in the first and two more in the third.
Covington got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Johnson and Martinez singled and advanced into scoring position on Robby Stahl’s (Florida State) sacrifice bunt. South Florida’s Andrew Longley plated Johnson with a groundout to short.
Woodstock increased its lead to 7-1 with two runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Covington would add a single run in the eighth when Johnson tripled and scored on Stahl’s sacrifice fly.
That would be Covington’s last gasp as Woodstock plated five more in the top of the ninth to take a commanding 12-2 lead.
Jake Ramsey (Oral Roberts) was charged with his first mound loss of the summer after allowing seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits. Ramsey struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
The Lumberjacks (15-18) take tonight off before hosting the Valley League-leading Haymarket Senators (21-11) at Casey Field Tuesday night.
