May 7, 2008 – COVINGTON
With the weather threatening to end the contest prematurely, the Covington Buccaneers jumped on National Trail early and often for 15 runs in the first two innings in a 15-1 victory.

"We're happy we were able to get the game in," said Covington coach Mitch Hirsch. "With two more league games this week and the tournament beginning next week, we didn't want to see this game get called."

After holding the visitors scoreless in the top of the first, Covington rained hit after hit in the first inning and the result was an 8-0 lead.

Jake Bitner started things off with a double and Darrell Thobe singled to put runners at the corners.

David Moss then drilled a towering three-run homer that cleared the left field fence and bounced off the fence at the softball field where the Lady Buccs were playing.

"That was a shot," Hirsch explained. "Someone told me it hit the fence over at the softball field, so he really got a hold of that one."

Covington then scored five more runs in the first and followed with seven runs in the second to take the wind out of the Blazers.

"I was worried about our hitting with the layoff we've had," Hirsch said after his team compiled 12 hits on the day. "But we picked up where we left off last week and hit the ball really well."

And it was against a solid baseball team as National Trail was coming off of a 10-0 victory over Tri-Village.

"They (National Trail) are a good baseball team," Hirsch praised. "It seemed like things just snowballed on them after we got five or six runs. That happens in baseball - even to good teams. I sympathize with what they were going through because it's happened to us too."

With a comfortable lead and the rain threatening to end the contest prematurely, Covington did all it could do to speed up the contest in the third and fourth innings. The Buccaneer batters swung at virtually every pitch and bunted on several occasions just to put the ball in play.

"Hopefully they don't think we were trying to rub it in," Hirsch said. "We really wanted to get the game in. That's all we were trying to do."

Darrell Thobe was stellar on the mound for the Buccs as he went the distance in allowing three hits and one earned run. He also struck out four and walked just two batters.

"Darrell's been sick and he wasn't at school yesterday," said Hirsch. "But he pitched a great game."

Moss had a big day at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI.

Jake Bitner was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI, while Thobe helped himself with a 2-for-3 day and two RBI.

The victory improves Covington's record to 15-5 overall and remains at the top of the CCC standings with a 9-1 record.

The Buccs can lock up at least a share of the CCC title with a win tomorrow against Bethel.

Scoring by Innings:
National Trail ........0...0...1...0...0 - 1 .. 3 .. 4
Covington .............8...7...0...0...x - 15 .. 12 .. 0