CRAWLEY (WVDN) – The Covington Cougars made the short trip across the border on Saturday afternoon and dealt Greenbrier West a pair of defeats.
Kayla Bartley, a sophomore pitcher for the Cougars, struck out 13 Cavaliers while allowing only four hits in the first contest.
Covington struck early in the first inning when first-year leadoff hitter Laken Cantrell singled, stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sac fly from Tyra Rose. Michaela Alley settled down to induce two ground ball outs, but Covington would prove to be just as formidable defensively.
Bartley mowed through the top of the West lineup in order, striking out Brooke Nutter, Desteney Walker, and Preslee Treadway. All three Cavaliers went down swinging in a 14-pitch inning for Bartley.
The Cougars continued to attack the Cavaliers. Jenna Rucker led off with a double followed by a Lauren Bragg home run, staking Covington to a 3-0 lead. Gabriyl Marshall and Cantrell drew back-to-back walks, setting up a Marshall score on a Rose ground out. Cantrell plated a Covington run on an Addison Morris groundout, and the half-inning ended on a batter interference call against Brooklynn Hicks.
Alley tried to help her own cause when she lined a one-out triple to the right field corner. Bartley reasserted herself, though, and sat down two more Cavaliers to end the inning with a 5-0 lead.
Covington reached base with a leadoff batter again in third when Christina Terrell singled. The Cavalier defense looked to regain the advantage when Nutter settled under a fly ball for the first out. Emma Ames threw Bragg out at first for the second out. With two out, Marshall added to the Covington lead when she doubled to centerfield, scoring Terrell from third. Marshall took advantage of two Cavalier miscues and scored for a 7-0 Cougar lead.
Bartley notched her second 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third. Kyndall Taylor went down looking while Hannah Sweet and Nutter struck out swinging. The Cavaliers had only managed one hit through three innings.
Covington kept applying pressure in the top of the fourth inning. Rose flied out for the first lead-off out of the afternoon for the Cavaliers, but Morris and Bartley each smacked singles. Morris scored on a Hicks ground ball out to stretch the Cougars’ lead to eight.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, the Cavaliers loaded the bases. Treadway drew a four-pitch walk followed by a Braelee Brown single. Maddie Fields stretched Bartley to a full count, giving West their best scoring opportunity since the Alley triple in the second inning. Bartley would have none of it and struck out Karli Holliday and Ames on six pitches to end the threat.
Covington padded its lead in the top of the fifth with a four-run outburst. Taylor replaced Alley in the circle for Greenbrier West, inheriting a runner in the process. Taylor allowed a walk and gave up a single to load the bases, stole an out with an infield fly, then came the burst of Cougar runs. Rose singled, scoring Bragg. Morris reached on an error that scored both Marshall and Bragg. Hicks would score Rose two batters later before Ames ended the half-inning with an unassisted double play.
Bartley’s shutout-bid would end in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and two strikes, Nutter doubled to keep the game alive. Walker scorched an RBI-triple to left field to finally put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard. Bartley recovered with a strikeout to end the game 12-1.
In the second game, Covington jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage. West hurler Michaela Alley struck out Cantrell followed by a single from Rose. Alley struck out Morris for out number two but Bartley kept the inning alive with a high fly ball that scored Rose. Terrell followed that up with an RBI single, scoring Bartley before Ruckle flied out to end the first half-inning.
The Cavaliers were able to answer in the bottom-half. Brooke Nutter hit a one-out single then advanced on a Preslee Treadway sac bunt. Braelee Brown singled to score Nutter from second before Bartley got Alley to ground out to end the inning.
Alley set the Cougars down in order in the top of the second inning with a strikeout and two assists.
Brooke Patterson and Maddie Fields sparked the Cavalier offense with back-to-back singles. Holliday moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Taylor reached on an error, scoring two runs to push West into the lead. Bartley battled back and struck out Walker for the second out, but the Cavalier rally continued. Nutter singled setting up a Treadway 2-RBI triple. Brown collected an RBI with a double before Bartley settled down and ended the inning with a strikeout. The Cavaliers led 6-2 at the end of two innings.
Alley set down the first two Covington batters, but a two-out Cavalier error kept the inning alive. Bartley ignited the Covington comeback with a two-run home run. Terrell singled followed by a Ruckle double. A second West error allowed Terrell to score, cutting the Greenbrier West lead down to one run. Treadway would stop Covington’s rally when she tagged Ruckle out at the plate on a steal attempt. West’s lead was suddenly tenuous at 6-5.
Bartley insured the West lead would stay at one run with a three up, three down inning. Patterson and Fields went down by strike out and Holliday grounded out on a comeback bunt to Bartley.
Covington went right back on the attack with a lead-off walk followed by back-to-back singles, scoring Hicks to tie the game at six. Alley would record a strikeout, but the Cougars would continue to apply pressure. Marshall stole third and home to give Covington the lead. Morris doubled to left field allowing Cantrell to score for an 8-6 lead. Bartley followed with a liner to third that plated Morris. Terrell grounded out but Scott was able to come home on a wild pitch before Ruckle grounded out to end the top-half of the fourth with Covington now ahead 10-6.
West would counter with a two-out rally of their own. Nutter doubled and Treadway reached on an error by Morris, moving Nutter to third. Brown smacked an RBI-single, sending Nutter home. Showing resilience, Bartley ended the inning with a three-pitch strikeout and a 10-7 lead.
After Desteney Walker threw Bragg out at first, Alley issued a walk to Hicks. Hicks stole second and scored when Marshall’s bunt was mishandled. Marshall then scored on a Cantrell fly ball to put the Cougars up 12-7. Alley’s defense helped her out of the inning with a ground out and a lineout.
The West offense sputtered in the bottom of the fifth with another one, two, three inning. Patterson flew out to left field while Bartley kept baffling West batters, striking out Sweet and Holliday.
Covington added to their lead in the top of the sixth. Bartley singled, advanced on a wild pitch, then stole third base. Terrell hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Bartley. Alley and the Cavaliers finished off the inning with a strikeout and groundout but trailed by six runs in the middle of the sixth inning.
Unfortunately for Greenbrier West, their offense was stagnant. A third three-batter inning for the Cavaliers doomed their thoughts of a comeback. Taylor flied out to right field, Walker struck out, and Nutter flied out to centerfield.
Alley allowed the dreaded lead-off walk in the top of the seventh but buckled down to retire the Cougars in order. Brown and Holliday recorded unassisted outs and Walker threw Marshall out for out number three.
Treadway tried to breathe life into the Cavaliers to start the bottom of the seventh, sending a sharp single into right field. It would be all that Bartley allowed. Brown grounded out followed by an Alley strikeout. The game when Patterson hit a comebacker that Bartley handled, tossing it to first.
The Cavaliers dropped to 3-3 on the season. West looks to rebound when they host Pikeview and visit Richwood this week.
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