Covington Takes Opener

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Rockbridge (25-24)	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	8	1
Covington (26-24)	0	0	0	3	0	2	1	0	X	6	11	0
@ Covington | Casey Field

Pitching
Win: Garrett Cole (5-2) - Covington
Loss: Trevor Johnston (0-1) - Rockbridge

Rockbridge Batting
2B: George Piccirilli
3B: none
HR: Kerry Doane

Covington Batting
2B: Matt Shoemaker; Oscar Romero
3B: none
HR: Ryan Sullivan 2

full stats

COVINGTON - Host Covington opened the 2011 VBL Championship Series with a 6-2 victory over Rockbridge Thursday night.

The Lumberjacks (26-24) had 11 hits in taking a 1-0 series lead over Rockbridge (25-24) in the best-of-three series.

Covington can clinch the championship with a win in Friday's 7 p.m. contest at Cap'n Dick Smith Field in Lexington.

The Rapids took the early lead with a run in the first, but the 'Jacks answered with a three-spot in the fourth.

George Piccarilli gave the visitors that early advantage by leading off the game with a double to right center and then coming home on Tyler Hill's single to center.

Rockbridge missed a great opportunity to add this advantage as Covington starter Garrett Cole (5-2) hit the next batter, but Cole worked out of the two-on, no-out jam by sandwiching a strikeout around a pair of groundball outs.

In the fourth, Ryan Sullivan led off with a home run to right before three of the next four batters reached base via singles.

The last of these singles, by Andrew Kirks, scored Matt Shoemaker with the go-ahead run.

One batter later, Jake Joyce lofted a sacrifice fly to left to plate the game-winning run.

The offense was enough for Cole, who tossed a complete game eight-hitter. Cole allowed the two runs on eight hits and struck out seven.

Covington extended its lead with two runs in the sixth before each team scored one time in the seventh.

Shoemaker finished the night 3 for 4 with Sullivan, Kirks and Oscar Romero all getting two hits. Kirks and Romero also had one RBI each.

Hill was 2 for 4 for the Rapids.