COVINGTON - As the end of the season nears, the bats finally came alive for the Alcovy High baseball team Monday as it won 10-1 over region opponent Clarke Central at Tiger Field.

Like the rest of the season, the second-year Tigers (5-11 overall, 5-12 Region 8-AAAA) got off to a slow start as the Gladiator pitching staff had the upper hand early on.

After dealing two shutout innings, it was the Gladiators (4-15, 3-14) who drew first blood.

Once an infield error and a sacrifice bunt advanced the runner into scoring position, Clarke Central's Jay Swinford drove home the first run of the game with a single to right field, giving the Gladiators a 1-0 lead.

Unwilling to sit back and take another loss, the Tigers rallied back in the third after singles by Taylor Jackson and Ross Roberts. A free pass to Michael Aventurato loaded the bases for Alcovy as Jimmy Ingram stepped to the plate.

And Ingram delivered, picking up two RBIs with a single to left field. Another walk to Ellis Fanning loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. Unable to regain his composure, Gladiator starting pitcher Eric Gordy walked in a bases loaded run before giving up an RBI single to Beau Thomas.

"It was a great win for us today," said Alcovy coach Joe Mobley. "Our bats were working, and our defense made great strides."

With the lead in hand after three innings of play, the Tigers didn't stop there.

In the bottom of the fourth, Alcovy got things rolling as Cole Loggins opened the inning with a double. Loggins eventually scored on a wild pick off attempt, making it 5-1.

After a walk to Roberts and a single by Fanning, it was Ingram who came calling once again with runners on first and third. Not to be outdone by his third inning heroics, Ingram belted a double to the centerfield wall, plating Roberts and Fanning to give the Tigers a 7-1 lead heading to the fifth.

While the Alcovy bats remained hot, Jackson, a sophomore, made the mound his home, allowing just one run on three hits in six innings of work.

"It was cold out there, so it was hard to get a grip," Jackson said. "I wanted to work inside and try to jam them hard."

In an attempt to drive the final nail in the coffin, Alcovy got a run in the fifth off an RBI single by Loggins that scored Thomas. While in the sixth the Tigers added two more insurance runs with a two-run double by Fanning, sealing the deal for Alcovy's school-record fifth win of the season.

Alcovy visits Cedar Shoals at 5:30 p.m. today.