Covert powers Iron Dukes over Evansville

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Daniel Covert hit a home run and drove in six runs to lead the Steeleville Iron Dukes to an 11-3 victory over the Evansville A's at Evansville on June 28.

Eric Gramenz pitched six solid innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out six, to pick up his first win of the year for the Iron Dukes.

The Iron Dukes jumped on top of the A's in the first inning when Danny Zobel hit a ground ball single threw the right side of the infield to drive in two runs with two outs in the inning, giving the Iron Dukes a 2-0 lead.

The A's were able tie the game at two in the bottom of the second inning, but the Iron Dukes would regain the lead in the third inning and would never surrender it.

With two runners on and one out, Covert sent a blast over the right-center field fence for his first home run of the season to give the Iron Dukes a 5-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning Dane Walter was able to drive in a run for the A's to cut the lead to 5-3, but Walter's hit was the last hit the A's would be able to get off the Iron Dukes.

The Iron Dukes tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning when six straight batters reached base, and Covert drove in two runs and Zobel drove in one. The Iron Dukes then expanded the lead to 11-3 in the seventh inning when Covert and Zobel each drove in a run and another run scored on an error.

Ross Cook pitched a scoreless seventh inning to finish off the game for the Iron Dukes, and the last out of the game was recorded when Todd Mitchell was tagged out trying to steal home.

Covert went 3-4 with a home run and six RBI's, Zobel went 3-4 with four RBI's, Corey Becker went 2-3 with three runs scored, Eric Piel scored two runs and Gramenz went 2-3 with two runs scored.

With the victory the Iron Dukes improved their record to 3-7 on the season and Gramenz ran his record to 1-3 on the mound for the Iron Dukes.

The next Iron Dukes game is currently scheduled for Wednesday, July 6 against the Prairie Du Rocher Billy Goats at 7:00p.m. in Steeleville. For a complete Iron Dukes schedule and statistics visit www.leaguelineup.com/irondukes