COVINGTON, Ga. — There was a race to the bat rack in Covington Tuesday night as the Alcovy Tigers celebrated a 12-4 victory over region opponent Rockdale County. 

Leaving its non-region schedule with a 4-8 record, Alcovy was looking to turn the page and start their region slate with a win. 

Sophomore Hunter Parker took the mound for the Tigers. In his performance, Parker held the Bulldogs scoreless through the first three innings and racked up numerous strikeouts. 

Head coach Jimmy Hughes was pleased with his starting pitcher. 

“[Hunter] threw the ball well, he pitched well against them last year as a freshman,” Hughes said. “He just finds a way to compete. He is not traditional; he is going to throw more off-speed than fastballs, but he is a bulldog when he has the ball, he wants it.”

Parker finished his stay on the mound after five innings and recorded seven strikeouts in the win. 

The Tigers got to Rockdale County’s starting pitcher Jordan Jackson early in the game.

With runners on the corners for CJ Salmon, the sophomore ripped a double into the gap to give Alcovy the 2-0 lead in the first.

The Tigers tacked on two more in the second on a one-run triple from sophomore Reece Payne and a one-run double from senior Connor Coursey.

After another strong inning from Parker in the top of the third, three more Tigers got involved at the plate to make it a 7-0 game going into the top of the fourth.

Hughes praised the team’s ability to create production at any spot in the lineup, no matter who was at the plate.

“We finally got some guys who are starting to figure their swings out…and that is really one through nine throughout the [batting] order,” Hughes said. “Every spot contributed in some way tonight, it is a collective effort right now, which is what you want.”

An error from Coursey behind the plate allowed Jonathan Raggs to score from third and give Rockdale County their first run of the game. But the Tigers responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead 9-1. 

In the fifth inning, the Bulldogs sent every spot in the order to the plate, scoring three runs to make it a 9-4 game going into the bottom of the fifth.

Once again, the Tigers had a response. 

This time, the big play came from Coursey. For the first time in his high school career, the senior hit a line-drive shot over the left field wall for a solo home run to make the score 10-4. 

Two more runs scored in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 12-4 win for the Tigers to open their region schedule.

Coursey led the charge at the plate for the Tigers, going 2-for-3 at the plate earning two RBIs. 

After the game, Hughes mentioned how the team’s approach is different now as they begin to play in series against their region opponents. 

“We have to take it one game at a time, [we call] region play the second season,” Hughes said. “It is good to start 1-0 but it does not do us any good if we do not repeat that later in the week.”

Hughes and the rest of the Tigers will look to do just that as they will host a doubleheader against the Bulldogs on Thursday, March 17, to conclude the three-game series.