The Covington Lumberjacks played home run derby over the weekend as they won Saturday and Sunday to improve to 6-7 on the season and into a tie for third place in the Valley League South Division.
The Lumberjacks pounded the Strasburg Express on the road Saturday, 21-9, before topping the Luray Wranglers at home Sunday in five innings, 6-1.
The Lumberjacks drilled four home runs in Saturday’s win with two coming off the bat of Bethune-Cookman’s Anthony Stokes, including a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning.
The game was knotted at one going into the top of the second inning before the Lumberjacks plated eight runs on five hits. The bulk of the damage was provided by Lynden Coleman (Barry) and Nick Hladek (Butler).
Coleman drilled a three-run bomb with two outs in the inning and two batters later, Hladek followed with a two-run blast to give Covington a 9-1 lead.
Stokes led off the top of the third with the first of his two home runs – a solo shot to left field – to increase the Lumberjacks’ lead to 10-1, but the Express plated five runs off starter Jake Joyce (Virginia Tech) in the bottom half of the inning to cut their deficit to four.
Strasburg closed to within two with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and both teams traded runs in the sixth to make the score 11-9.
Steven Keener (Christopher Newport) ripped a three-run double in the seventh and scored two batters later on Clark Lebitan’s RBI single to increase Covington’s lead to 15-9.
The Lumberjacks put it away with six runs in the top of the ninth, four coming on Stokes’ grand slam, as they cruised to the 21-9 win over the Express.
Dallas Nunes (UMass-Lowell) earned the win in relief for the Lumberjacks. Nunes allowed three runs on six hits over five and a third innings pitched. He struck out eight and walked two.
Hladek led the Lumberjacks at the plate with a 4-for-5, four RBI night, while Stokes was 3-for-4, five RBI. Coleman was 3-for-4 with four RBI and Keener finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and five runs scored. Giuseppe Papaccio (Seton Hall) added a 3-for-6 night.
In Sunday’s win, the Wranglers plated an early run off starter Scott Garner (Bethune-Cookman), but the Lumberjacks plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth to get the win after the game was called in the top of the sixth due to rain.
The game was scoreless through three innings of play before Luray’s Jonathan Murphy singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on Erik Hempe’s RBI single.
The Lumberjacks evened the score in the bottom of the fourth when Coleman doubled to right field and scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.
Ryan Dineen (Eastern Illinois) drilled a home run to right center off Luray reliever Heath Mayo to lead off the bottom of the fifth and give the Lumberjacks a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.
Richie Rodriguez (Eastern Kentucky) then drew a walk and Steven Keener singled to put two aboard. Coleman drilled a double to right-center to plate Rodriguez and move Keener to third.
Keener scored on a wild pitch and Stokes capped the five-run rally with his third home run of the weekend, a two-run bomb over the fence in left field, to give Covington a 6-1 lead.
Garner struck out Murphy to open the sixth inning before the game was called.
Garner picked up the win in his mound debut, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Coleman led the Jacks at the plate with a 2-for-2 night, while Keener was 2-for-3. Hladek and Stokes had one hit each with Stokes adding two RBI.
The Lumberjacks will be at home tonight in a make-up game against the Front Royal Cardinals. Covington is back at home Tuesday night against the Rockbridge Rapids.