Clover Hill captured its second consecutive RCBL title with a 13-6 win over Stuarts Draft at Buck Bowman Park Thursday.
The Bucks took the finals series four games to one, giving Clover Hill a 35-4 record this season. The Bucks, who finished the season by winning 25 of their final 26 games, have won 57 of their past 61 contests - spanning the past two summers. The title is also the Bucks' fifth crown in the past seven seasons. Draft, which went 3-7 against Clover Hill this summer, finished the season at 31-8.
On Thursday, the D'backs led early, but could not contain a powerful Bucks offense.
In the top of the first against CH lefty Brooks Cullen, the D'backs took the lead. With one out, Jason Butterworth doubled to left and scored on a single to left from Ben Wise.
CH leadoff hitter Drew Easter hit the first pitch he saw from Draft starter Seth Berry to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. J.R. Rohrbough's RBI single later gave the Bucks at 2-1 edge.
Draft rebounded to take the lead in the second, using a RBI bloop single to left from Brnadon Zollman and scoring a run on a botched pickoff attempt to jump ahead, 3-2.
The Bucks, however, would take the lead for good in the bottom of the second. Chris Cofer tallied a leadoff single, followed by Berry hitting Easter. After a walk to Christian Simmers loaded the bases, Berry was relieved by Ryan Cooper.
Cooper allowed a run-scoring single to Addison Bowman and a two-run single to Aaron Lough, before hitting Cullen. Dustin Bowman's sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 6-3.
A solo home run from Lough extended the margin to 7-3 in the fourth, with Draft attempting a comeback in the sixth.
With one out, Wes Harlow singled to right, followed by a walk to Zollman and a RBI single from Butterworth. Addison Bowman then relieved Cullen and got a flyout from Wise, but allowed a RBI single to Cooper. After a walk to Brian Sandridge, Bowman fanned Milo Johnson to leave the bases loaded and the Bucks with a 7-5 lead.
Run-scoring singles from Dustin Bowman and Grant French, with another run scoring on an throwing error by first baseman Drew Dobbins, allowed the Bucks to push the margin to 10-5.
A two-run single from French and Addison Bowman scoring on a throwing error after stealing third put hte Bucks ahead 13-5 in the seventh.
Bowman yielded a RBI groundout to Cooper in the eighth, but it was not enough. Logan Arey worked a perfect ninth to close out the series.
Cullen (5.1 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 10 H, 4 BB, 8 K) picked up the win, while Bowman (2.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K) pitched well in relief. Lough went 5-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs to pace the Bucks. French had two hits and three RBIs, Dustin Bowman had two RBIs and Addison Bowman had two hits, a RBI and two stolen bases for the Bucks.
Berry (1 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, HBP, 1 K) took the loss, with Cooper (5 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 7 H, HBP, 3 K) pitching in relief. Cooper also had t wo hits and two RBIs, while Sandridge, Butterworth and Zollman each had two hits.
Simmers and Cullen were named finals series MVPs.
