Covenanters Just Miss First Church-Picnic Game Victory

Due to heavy rains in the area this year, the annual church picnic game between these two Reformed and Presbyterian churches was the first game played for the Covenanters this season.  There were plenty of festivities both before and during the game - a special musical and vocal rendition of the first and last verses of the Star-Spangled Banner, the great pierogi race, and the Covenanter Games (the hammer throw and stone toss).

Playing to the home crowd at Devlin Park, North Hills took a 4-0 lead in the bottom half of the first, with most of that on a 3-run triple by Byron, who pitched the game for the Covenanters.  Grace came back to go up 6-4 in the 3rd inning, but North Hills answered with a 6-hit, 5 run 4th inning, including 3 straight singles from the very bottom of an 18-player lineup, and a 3-run triple from Adam.

Grace answered back in the 5th to move ahead by 2, and neither team was ahead by more than 2 runs the rest of the afternoon.  North Hills came back, and Evan, Adam, Josh, and Byron all got hits in the 8th to tie the score at 12.  It wasn't enough on this day, however, as opposing hurler Jordan blasted a triple to right-center in the 9th, and Grace scored 2 runs to take and hold onto a 14-12 victory.