Clover Hill improved to 3-1 on the season versus Stuarts Draft and forged a first-place tie in the RCBL standings with the Diamondbacks with a 4-2 win at the Diamond Club Sunday.
The win moved the Bucks to 21-4 on the season. If both teams win out, then the Bucks would own the tie-breaker over Draft should a one-game playoff for the league pennant be necessary. Both teams, however, have three games remaining before talk of a pennant playoff can begin.
Clover Hill plays at Bridgewater (5-19) Tuesday, at Montezuma (14-9) Friday and finishes out the season at home against New Market (11-11) on Buck Fever Night Saturday. Draft plays at New Market Tuesday, hosts the Shockers on Thursday and finishes its regular season Saturday against Montezuma at the Diamond Club.
The Bucks, who trailed the D'backs by a game entering Sunday's contest, got a suberb pitching performance from starter James Lucas and some timely hitting to claim the victory.
Lucas moved to 5-0 after allowing two runs on six hits and one walk in a complete-game effort. He was nearly matched by the Draft tandem of starter Ryan Cooper (6.1 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 3 K) and Jake Rule (2.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 7 K).
After Cooper tossed a 1-2-3 top of the first, Lucas walked D'backs leadoff hitter Brandon Zollman to start the Draft half of the inning. Lucas, however, fanned Jason Butterworth and got Ben Wise to ground into a double play to end the at bat.
The Bucks then plated a run in the second. Cooper walked Shane Banks to open the frame, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Aaron Lough. Dustin Bowman reached on an error and Aaron Martin on a fielder's choice, before Chris Cofer slapped a single to right for the 1-0 advantage.
Lucas worked around singles from Drew Dobbins in the second and Brandon Clark in the third — keeping the D'backs off the scoreboard until the fifth. In that frame, Cooper blooped a leadoff single to right and Dobbins followed with a two-run shot to right for a 2-1 Draft lead. Wes Dimitt followed with a single to left, but courtesy runner Rajah Jenkins was thrown out trying to steal at second — one of three runners Dustin Bowman threw out on the night. Lucas then got Clark to line out and struck out Milo Johnson to keep the Draft lead at one run.
It would stay there until the top of the seventh, when Lough reached on an infield single. Dustin Bowman followed with a two-run home run to right center to give the Bucks a 3-2 lead. One out later, Cofer hit a solo homer to right for a two-run lead. Cooper was then relieved by Rule, who did not allow a hit the rest of the way.
Lucas was nearly as flawless pitching with the lead. After Dimitt's hit in the fifth, he allowed only one more baserunner — when Dimitt singled again to lead off the eighth. Dustin Bowman, again, threw out courtesy runner Jenkins trying to steal, and Lucas fanned Clark and got Johnson to ground out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Lucas induced Wes Harlow to pop out to short, Zollman to strikeout and Butterworth to ground out to shortstop to end the contest.
Cofer was 2-for-3 with a home run (his second) and two RBIs and Dustin Bowman went 2-for-4 with a home run (also his second) and two RBIs for the Bucks. Dobbins was 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs and Dimitt was 2-for-3 for the D'backs.
