Covenant rolls to victory over Miller

Before the season started, Covenant knew it could lean on proven hurlers Sean Rutherford and Josh Allen.

The Eagles proved Tuesday there’s more to their pitching staff than just those two aces.

Lee Coppock, Josey Flynn and Brian Pollard combined to hold Miller, the two-time defending VIC champions, to just a trio of runs in a 14-3 Covenant road victory.

“We did throw the baseball pretty well,” said Covenant coach Doug Smethurst. “We’re going to need them. It’s still early and there’s been so much weather that it’s hard to get into a rhythm, but I was very pleased with how we threw.”

Coppock, a sophomore who also plays quarterback for the Eagles during football season, picked up the victory as the starter after going three innings and surrendering just two hits and two runs while striking out five, including the second when he struck out the side. Flynn then entered in the fourth and struck out three himself while giving up just one walk. Pollard followed in the fifth, steadying himself quickly after surrendering an RBI single to Miller’s Kevin Hermann to close out the contest with a flyout and a strikeout.

The three pitchers worked with a lead from the early going after Allen, the Eagles’ senior cleanup hitter, ripped a three-run home run over the right centerfield fence in the first that gave Covenant (5-1, 2-0 VIC) a 3-0 advantage before its defense even set foot on the field.

“Josh is swinging the bat very well and that was good way to start off,” Smethurst said. “But we knew Miller was going to keep fighting back.”

Allen had a run-scoring single that rounded out his four-RBI outing. Jessie Getchell also helped spur the Covenant offense with a pair of doubles while Rutherford went 2 for 3 with a two-RBI double in the third in the Eagles’ No. 3 spot.

Miller is currently rebuilding after the graduation of three star players last year, All-Central Virginia honorees Hunter Bacot, Jon-Mikel Whalen and Michael Walker. Still, the Mavericks showed there was some pop in the lineup when J.C. Moscicki ripped a solo home run to left center in the third inning. Moscicki went 2 for 2 on the day, adding a single in the first frame.

“We’ve got a long ways to go and we’ve got to work on it,” said Miller coach Sam Beale. “But we’re better than we showed today and we’re going to be alright.”

Covenant takes on Carlisle on the road on Friday in the Eagles’ next game.