CONYERS, Ga. — For the first time since 2016, Alcovy has swept a region opponent.
The Tigers went on the road Tuesday to play their season finale against Region 3-AAAAAA adversary Rockdale County. After collecting a pair of wins over the Bulldogs earlier this month, they capped off the three-game sweep with a 6-3 victory.
Prior to Tuesday, the last region opponent to be swept by Alcovy in a season series was Lovejoy five years ago.
“It’s big for us for a couple of reasons,” Alcovy head coach Jimmy Hughes said. “One, it keeps us in playoff contention, which we haven’t done since 2013. Second, up until these last couple years, Rockdale has had our number every time Alcovy has gone up against them.
“In order to turn the corner as a program, you have to be able to sweep the area teams.”
Freshman right-hander Hunter Parker was sturdy and reliable on the hill for the Tigers (8-12, 3-3). He pitched a complete game, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out seven and walking two.
Parker’s efforts not only kept Alcovy in the game Tuesday, but also put the Tigers in a favorable position heading into this weekend’s series with another area team in Heritage.
“By him being able to go the distance, it saves the rest of our pitching for those two games [against Heritage,]” Hughes said. “He competes, man. You look at him and he’s all of 5 feet 8 inches, maybe 140 pounds. But that dude, man, his heart and his want-to is something.”
Parker helped his own cause in the second inning by lacing an RBI single to right field to score the game’s first run.
An inning later, the Tigers extended their lead when fellow freshman Reece Payne scored on a wild pitch and senior Lamar Williams came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Jayden Bishop, making it 3-0.
The Bulldogs took a run back with an RBI single of their own in the third inning, followed by a run-scoring groundout in the fourth. But in the sixth inning, with just a one-run cushion between themselves and Rockdale County, Alcovy doubled its advantage on Payne’s two-out RBI single to center field.
The Tigers tacked on two more runs with RBI singles from sophomore Rodgis Ponder and Parker, effectively icing the victory.
Alcovy is scheduled to play a home-and-home region series against Heritage (4-11, 2-5) on Thursday (away) and Friday (home). Both games will begin at 5:55 p.m.
