The odds were against Munford beating Covington twice Tuesday night to win the District 14-AAA tournament, even after beating the Chargers 10-2 in game one.
A pair of Covington pitchers made sure there would be no storybook ending for the Cougars in game two. Starter Paxton Messer allowed just one hit over three innings and Ben Smith pitched four innings of no-hit relief to lead the Chargers to a 10-2 win and the district title.
Both teams qualified for next week’s region semifinals. Covington will host Dyersburg on Monday and Munford will travel to Dyer County. Considering how bad the teams are in Districts 15 and 16, region semifinal winners from Districts 13 and 14 are almost guaranteed a spot in the state tournament.
Covington jumped on Munford early in game two with five runs in the top of the first inning and put the game away with four in the fifth.
Holden Warmath singled, doubled and drove in two to pace Covington’s offense. Chris Godwin tripled and singled and Messer drove in two runs on two hits. Brennan Forbess and Bradyn Gover each had two hits. Bo Dunavant singled and drove in two runs.
In game one, Munford got a strong pitching performance from Trey Elliot. He struck out five and allowed four hits over seven innings to pick up the win.
Noah Lowry, Luke Lavelle, Jax Butigan and Owen Boswell each doubled for Munford.
Munford ended Brighton’s season Monday with a 10-1 win in the district semifinals.
Owen Geiger doubled twice and drove in a run and Chase Spears singled, doubled and drove in one. Lowry struck out five and scattered seven hits over seven innings to earn the win.
Colton Bryant was 3 for 3 for Brighton and Lavelle singled twice.
