MAY 16, 2011 - COVINGTON
Covington coach Mitch Hirsch knows his team better than any other, so playing six games in five days is right up his alley.

"This is a group of kids that has to keep playing," said Hirsch, after his team dismantled Tri-Village 6-0 in a non-conference game on Monday. "We seem to play better the more we play, so it was nice for us to be able to pick up this game."

Playing and playing often must be the secret as Covington started the season with a 3-11 record with games being rescheduled over an over due to the weather, only to turn things around by winning 10 of the last 14 contests.

"We're playing pretty well right now," Hirsch said. "We played one of our better games on Saturday against a very good St. Henry team and we were dead tired."

On Saturday, Covington finished the 3-3 contest from Fifth/Third Field that was called in the sixth inning due to rain. St. Henry scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh for the 4-3 win, but the Buccs turned the tables in the second game of a double-header by scoring two runs in the top of the eight for a 3-1 win.

"They (St. Henry) had a very nice pitcher, but the kids did a nice job against him," Hirsch described. "Steven (Blei) and Austin (Angle) did a nice job on the mound and we played great defense behind them. We finally got the big hits when we needed them in the eighth."

In the home finale on Monday against Tri-Village, it was senior hurler Dylan Fortner who created a memory in his final home game by recording a one hitter.

"Dylan threw a great game tonight," praised Hirsch. "He mixed in his knuckleball with his fastball very well."

And he did it without striking out any batters.

"That's something to give up just one hit without getting a strikeout," Hirsch said. "He did what he had to do, throw strikes and let the defense do the job behind him. He had them popping up or grounding out all night."

Fortner's most impressive inning came in the fifth when he recorded three outs on just four pitches.

"He had seven or eight outs where he'd get them way out on their front foot with his knuckleball," Hirsch explained. "In that inning two of the batters popped up the first pitch and the third batter lined out to Steven (Blei) at third."

Meanwhile, the Tri-Village pitchers were having problems finding the strikes zone, particularly in the bottom of the fourth inning. Covington scored five runs in the inning on just one hit as the Patriots walked four batters, hit two more and let a runner on with an error.

"We've been telling the kids all the time to be aggressive at the plate, but only on your pitches," said Hirsch. "The kids did a nice job of being patient at the plate and taking what was given to them. If it was there, we hit it."

Covington recorded just five hits on the evening, but they were timely ones.

Brandon Flora drove in two runs, while Andrew DeHart, Steven Blei, Ben Wilson and Jake Stewart also record hits. DeHart, Blei and Stewart each drove in a run.

Covington (13-15) looks to keep things rolling on Wednesday in the sectional final against Russia in Piqua.

SCORING BY INNINGS:
Tri-Village .......0..0..0..0..0..0..0 - 0 - 1 - 2
Covington .......0..0..1..5..0..0..x - 6 - 5 - 2