It was somewhat fitting. After he had provided his team five runs on two hits at the plate, when Covenant found itself in a jam on defense, they went to Lee Coppock for help. And with just one out in the top of the sixth, the bases loaded and a 4-run lead, he took the mound in relief and was able to force a pop-fly bunt that produced a double-play to end the inning.
That’s all the Eagles needed as they did the heavy lifting on offense early in the game and handled business in the seventh to get past Miller for a 9-5 win.
“It was good that we got all the runs we did early on,” said Covenat coach Doug Smethurst. “We’re still pretty young and that helps to have nine runs in the first two innings.”
After surrendering a run in the top of the first, the Eagles were able to get through their entire order in the bottom of the inning and pick up four runs on a 2-run single from Coppock and a 2-run double from Ethan Taylor, both of which came with two outs.
The very next inning, Covenant’s bats stayed hot as Sean Rutherford picked up a triple with one hit and was quickly joined by a pair of base runners on a hit batter and a walk to load the bases for Coppock. The junior made Miller pay as he hammered a double deep to centerfield to bring in three runs.
“Early on, it seemed like we were all seeing the ball pretty good,” Coppock said. “They kept throwing fastballs at us so kept putting the bat on them.”
Chris Shifflett and Taylor tacked on two more RBIs and by the end of the second, the Eagles were up comfortably, 9-1.
But starting with the fourth inning, the heart of Mavericks order came to life and started to chew into the the Covenant lead.
Cody Rose and Casey Mathews each drove in a run with one out in the top of the fifth on a single and double respectively to cut the lead down to six.
Then in the top of the sixth, an RBI triple from Baron Fortune and an RBI double from Rose would get Miller to within four with nobody out. Just four batters in, the Mavericks were sitting pretty with a body on each base.
But with his team’s lead on the line, Smethurst went to one of his best arms in Coppock – usually a starter – to help contain the damage.Coppock responded, retiring the side in the top of the seventh to preserve the win.
Offensively for the Eagles, Coppock finished the day 2 for 3 with five RBI. Rutherford was 3 for 3 with with a single, double and triple. He also had a pair of stolen bases and a pair of runs scored. Ethan Taylor went 1 for 3 with 3 RBI.
Given the lack of experience, Mavericks coach Sam Beale was more than pleased with the outing despite the loss.
“I was awfully proud of the team,” Beale said. “We’ve got a lot of first time players – really, for some this is they’re first year out here and to get the runs we did on Covenant, we’re happy. That’s one of the best team’s in Central Virginia and they have been for a while.”
Miller’s Jeremy Walker was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Both Rose and Fortune went 2 for 3 with two RBI.
The Mavericks (0-3, 0-2 VIC) host Iroquois out of Pennsylvania today at 4:30 p.m.
The Eagles, (5-2-1, 2-0) will host Fort Le Bouef, also out of Pennsylvania today at 4:45 p.m.
