Clover Hill won its third-straight contest Tuesday, pounding out 12 hits in a 12-2 win against Bridgewater at Ray Heatwole Field.
The win moved the Bucks to 22-4 and kept them tied with Stuarts Draft, which was a 7-0 winner over New Market on Tuesday. Bridgewater fell to 5-20 with the loss.
The Bucks opened with a 1-0 lead against Reds starter Tim Kennedy — when Drew Easter doubled and scored on a two-out single from Shane Banks — before the Reds took the lead in the bottom of the first against CH starter John Sinclair.
With one out, the Reds collected six consecutive singles, including RBI singles from T.J. Frazier and Tanner Croy, to jump ahead 2-1.
Clover Hill, however, took the lead for good in the top of the second. Kennedy hit Aaron Martin to open the at bat, and followed by allowing a single to Chris Cofer and Andrew Weaver to reach on a bunt to load the bases. Martin then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, and Easter walked to again load the bases. Another walk to Christian Simmers forced in the go-ahead run, and another run scored when Addison Bowman grounded into a double play for a 4-2 advantage.
Sinclair settled in after the first, working 1-2-3 second frame and not allowing another run through his five innings of work.
The Bucks steadily built onto their lead. Banks hit a solo home run and Cofer had a RBI double in the third, two runs scored when the Reds dropped Aaron Lough's flyball to right in the fourth, and Easter smacked a RBI double in the fifth for a 9-2 cushion.
Logan Arey relieved Sinclair to start the sixth, and pitched around two singles and a walk to keep the lead at seven runs, before the Bucks got a sacrifice fly from Banks and another RBi double from Easter as part of a three-run seventh to move ahead, 12-2.
Tim Meredith worked a scoreless bottom of the seventh — also leaving the bases loaded after a single and a pair of walks — to close out the victory, which ended after seven innings due to the league's slaughter rule.
Easter went 3-for-3 with three doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs, while Cofer was also 3-for-3 with a double and RBI. Banks went 2-for-4 with a home run (his league-leading sixth) and three RBIs. Adam Rhodes was 3-for-4 for Bridgewater.'
Sinclair (5 IP, 2 R, 2 R, 10 H, 0 BB, HBP, 5 K) picked up the win to move to 3-0. Kennedy (4 IP, 8 R, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, HBP, 7 K) took the loss.
The Bucks return to action Friday at Montezuma.
