Panthers top Osbourn Park
Jason Hornick/News & Messenger
Potomac’s Josh Turner rounds third and makes his way toward home.
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By JUSTIN CREECH
For the News & Messenger
Published: May 26, 2008
However, very few of the words they heard from their coach were positive. Covington spent the majority of his post game speech focusing on what he felt was poor play.
“I don’t know if it was nerves, but we missed about six signals,” said Covington. “We put on a signal to bunt and we hit into a double play instead of bunting, then we put the signal on to hit and run and we bunt and almost bunt into a double play. You usually don’t win a playoff game when you play that way.”
The Panthers made several errors throughout the game including one in the bottom of the seventh inning that nearly sparked an Osbourn Park (18-5) comeback.
Pitcher Tyler Easterly dropped a would-be out while standing on home plate that allowed Osbourn Park’s Ian Heckman to score the Yellow Jackets’ first run.
“Last week we played very well,” said Covington of his team’s performance in winning the Cardinal District Tournament championship. “We were lucky to win tonight. We won't beat Albemarle on Wednesday if we play this way.”
Potomac (18-6) will play at Albemarle on Wednesday in the Northwest Region semifinals.
“I love coach,” said Ryan Easterly of Covington's post game rant. “He might yell at us and it bothers us but he’s a good coach and I’d rather have him as my coach than any other coach.”
Covington’s post game words weren’t all bad, though, as he praised Tyler and Ryan Easterly for being the difference makers in the Panthers' win.
Tyler Easterly was brought in to replace initial starter Ryan Moriarty in the bottom of the third inning after Moriarty threw his second wild pitch of the game. Easterly responded by allowing four hits and one earned run over the final five innings while striking out eight Yellow Jackets. Ryan Easterly’s two-out double in the top of the fifth scored Josh Turner to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
“Tyler [Easterly] had a great district tournament and so did Ryan,” said Covington. “Tyler was our number one guy going into the season and that's why I didn’t take very long to go to him when I saw that Ryan [Moriarty] didn’t have his normal stuff.”
Said Tyler Easterly, “If anyone was going to come in it was going to be me. So, I was kind of surprised, but at the same time I wasn’t. Coach handed me the ball and I did what I had to do to get the win.”
Ryan Easterly said the hit was particularly gratifying after making an error earlier in the game.
“I had to give back what I screwed up,” he said.
Potomac led 1-0 going into the top of the fifth inning after a sacrifice fly to right field from Zack O'Conner scored Tyler Covington in the top of the fourth.
After Edgar Quinoues grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, Josh Turner walked on four pitches. Ryan Easterly followed that with his double that went off the center field fence that scored Turner. Covington followed that with a single to left field that easily scored Ryan Easterly for a 3-0 Potomac lead.
“We usually struggle with a lower pitcher,” said Ryan Easterly. “But we usually get hot towards the end of games.”
Added Mike Covington, “Ryan and Tyler Covington have been our big RBI guys all year long.”
After a wild pitch allowed Osbourn Park’s Nate White to score from third in the bottom of the seventh, Tyler Easterly struck out Ryan Heckman and then got third baseman Sam Fox to ground to third for the game’s final out.
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