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Monday, June 1
Late surge powers Bucks past Elkton, 15-3
ELKTON — Clover Hill scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning to break open a close game and roll past Elkton, 15-3, at Stonewall Memorial Park Sunday.The Bucks, who tallied a season-high 12 hits and drew 11 walks against five Blue Sox pitchers, moved to 2-2 and scored in double digits for the second straight game after a sluggish offensive start to the season.Clover Hill’s offense looked to be in tune early on against Elkton righty Daren Clark, who walked Drew Easter to open the game. Easter moved to second and third on back-to-back wild pitches, before scoring on a groundout from Christian Simmers.Elkton leadoff hitter Kevin Kirk blooped a single to center to open the Sox’s half of the first against CH righty Kevin Chandler — Kirk’s teammate at Bridgewater College.But Chandler fanned J.J. Loker, Blake Stokely and Bryan Lescanec in order to strand Kirk.In the second, Clark hit Grant French with one out, then followed up by walking Dustin Bowman and Chris Cofer to load the bases. After a shallow flyout to right by Aaron Martin, Clark walked Easter to force in one run, then yielded a bloop two-run single to right from Simmers for a 4-0 Bucks’ lead.The Sox trimmed the lead to 4-1 in the third, when Kirk blasted a solo home run to right with one out. Elkton got a walk from Loker and a double from Stokely, but Chandler fanned Lescanec and got Beau Banglesdorf to flyout to deep center to keep the advantage at three runs. Scott Honaker entered in relief of Clark to start the fourth and was solid. A former Concord (W.Va.) right-hander, Honaker allowed just one hit and two walks over the next four frames as the Blue Sox threatened the Bucks’ lead.In the bottom of the fourth, Chandler issued a leadoff walk to Chris Mereen and Sam LeBeau reached on an error. Following a lineout to first from Brent Roadcap, Kevin Loker reached on an infield single to load the bases. Kirk’s groundout to first cut the lead to 4-2, with J.J. Loker adding another infield single to score LeBeau and trim the maring to one run. Chandler induced Stokely to pop up to second to end the rally.Elkton stranded one run in the fifth, when Mereen’s safety squeeze bunt attempt failed, and left two runners on in the sixth, when Stokely grounded into a fielder’s choice after a single by Kirk and a walk to J.J. Loker.Former Blue Sox righty Tim Meredith replaced Chandler to start the seventh and worked two scoreless frames as the Bucks’ bats awoke in the top of the eighth.Honaker plunked French to open the frame, then surrendered a double to Dustin Bowman before being relieved by Stokely. Cofer greeted Stokely with a RBI single to center, followed by a two-run single up the middle from Martin. After Kirk was unable to handle Easter’s pop up in shallow center, Stokely walked Simmers to load the bases and was relieved by Spotswood’s Wes Breeden.Breeden got Addison Bowman to line out to second, but Shane Banks singled and Aaron Lough smacked a RBI double to push the lead to 10-3.The Bucks added five runs in the ninth, including a RBI single from Easter and two-run single from Addison Bowman, to move the advantage to 15-3.Lefty Joseph Lucas struck out the side in the ninth to close out the win.Chandler (6 IP, 3 runs, 1 earned run, 8 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts) earned the win to move to 1-1. Clark (3 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, HBP, 1 K) took the loss for Elkton.Addison Bowman was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, Simmers went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, Martin was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Bucks at the plate.Kirk went 3-for-4 with his second home run of the season and two RBIs to lead the Blue Sox, who have lost three straight games and fell to 2-3.
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