Mike Vukovcan HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP-For the second time this Colt League season, Jaxsen Covalt pitched a gem against the Ambridge Bridgers.
Back on June 18th, Covalt pitched a complete game; going 7 innings allowing 7 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts as Hopewell defeated Ambridge, 6-1.
Established in 1986, family owned and serving the Beaver County community for over 40 years. Serving breakfast favorites and lunch specials.
Tonight, Covalt was back on the mound and went the distance as Hopewell picked up an important 6-0 win over the Bridgers.
Covalt once again went the distance, allowing just 5 hits, 1 run (0 earned runs), 0 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Covalt is now 2-1 on the season with a 3.00 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 28 innings.
At the plate for the Vikings, Josh Gill went 2-for-3 with a walk and 3 runs scored. Vin Smetana, Connor Reed Channing Yesionek, Liam Rankin and David Villanueva also collected hits for Hopewell. Hopewell picked up 3 doubles in the game (Smetana, Gill and Yesionek).
The big inning for Hopewell was the 4th inning as they picked up 3 runs to extend their lead to 4-0. The key hit in that inning was a 2-run RBI single by Villanueva.
Despite 2 errors, Hopewell had a solid game in the field to support Covalt’s efforts.
HOPEWELL’S DEFENSIVE PLAYS TONIGHT
1ST INNING: Ambridge had runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out, but Covalt got out of the inning as he got hitters to fly out to Reed in shallow left and a strike out to end the inning.
2ND INNING: Austin Gallagher fielded two ground balls at second base while Smetana recorded the other out on a grounder to shortstop.
3RD INNING: Rhett Rankin got two outs in the 3rd, the first on a pop up to first and the other on a groundout. Gill caught a flyout for the second out in the inning.
4TH INNING: Covalt struck out two batters with the other out coming on a groundout to Smetana.
5TH INNING: Two more strikeouts for Covalt with Gill catching another fly ball to center.
6TH INNING: The inning started with a pop up to Yesionek at third base with Reed catching a flyout in left field for the second out.
7TH INNING: Ambridge scored an unearned run in the final frame, but Covalt ended their threat by picking off a runner at second base to end the game.
FINAL SCORE: HOPEWELL 6 AMBRIDGE 1
No rest for Hopewell as they’ll be back in action tomorrow when they host South Side at Hopewell High School.
Hopewell is trying to earn as many wins as possible the rest of the week in order to earn a first round bye in the Colt League playoffs which will begin on Monday.
