APRIL 12, 2010 - FORT LORAMIE
There must be something about losing to Miami East that lights a fire under the Covington softball team. Since Friday's loss to the Vikings, Covington has won three straight games by a margin of 37-1, the only run given up on Monday in a 15-1 victory over Fort Loramie.

"We didn't hit the ball well at all against Miami East or in the first game on Saturday against Russia," said Covington coach Dean Denlinger. "But we've hit the ball very well since."

Delinger has seen this before from his team. Last season Covington outscored National Trail, Tri-County North and New Bremen a combined 28-1 in the three games following a loss to Miami East.

"We'd love to have that game back (the loss to Miami East)," Denlinger said. "We let some opportunities slip away."

Letting opportunities slip away isn't something Covington did Monday at Fort Loramie as the Lady Buccs jumped on the host team for two runs in the second and seven more in the third for a 9-0 lead.

And it was the big stick of freshman Connor Schaffer that did the most damage with a monster home run that sailed a good twenty feet over the 220-foot fence. It was Schaffer's second home run in as many games - the first being a grand slam at Russia on Saturday.

"That was a shot (by Schaffer)," said Denlinger. "She's got two home runs and ten RBI's in the last two games. Not bad for a freshman."

Fort Loramie scored its only run against outstanding Covington pitching in the bottom of the fourth. Chloe Shell and Casey Yingst combined for 11 strikeouts and allowed just three hist in the combined effort on the mound. Shell went five innings, while Yingst closed the contest in the last two innings.

"Our pitching and defense were solid," Denlinger said. "We didn't have any errors, so it was a pretty clean game."

While Shell and Yingst kept the Loramie hitters in check, the Lady Buccs put the game away six runs in the top of the sixth.

This time it was a senior who had the big hit as Kristen Swabb wrapped a two-run double as a pinch-hitter.

"They just changed pitchers and I told Kristen that she would see heat because they (Fort Loramie) were behind," Denlinger explained. "It was so funny, Swabby looked right at me and said 'I'm gonna bust it coach'. And by God, she did too."

Which made for some fun after the game.

"After the game we were in a team huddle and I asked the girls to come in a little closer," Denlinger continued. "I started whispering 'Swa-bby, Swa-bby' and the rest of the team joined in. That right there is what makes this (coaching) so much fun."

It was a fitting end to a contest that saw 11 Covington batters get at least one hit.

And, it improved Covington's record to 10-2 overall with another CCC battle against National Trail tomorrow.

SCORING BY INNINGS:
Covington ..............0...2...7...0...0...0...6 - 15 .. 16 .. 0
Fort Loramie ..........0...0...0...1...0...0...0 - 1 .. 3 .. 2