Dawg Baseball improves to 14-0-2 on season

By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove Baseball team continued its impressive run with a 4-0-1 showing at the Central Texas Invitational Tournament to improve to 14-0-2 on the year heading into tonight’s District 8-6A opener at Midway High School in Waco.
The Dawgs began the tournament Thursday with a pair of strong wins over Austin LBJ and Bastrop where they gave up a combined one run while plating 14.
Cove opened with an 8-1 win over LBJ.
Cameron Johnson was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs to lead the Cove bats. Tyler Ingram added a 2-for-4 outing with 3 RBIs, Nick Izquierdo was 2-for-3 with an RBI double, and Michael Goudeau was 2-for-3. Joh Ropple and Colby Jost also had hits in the contest.
Tyler Ingram surrendered one run (none earned) on four hits while striking out six in six innings
Josh Ropple pitched one inning with two strikeouts.
Cove finished day one with a 6-0 shutout of Bastrop.
Ingram was a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs to lead Cove while Johnson doubled and had an RBI, Izquierdo was 2-for-3 with a double, Jaylen Smith was 2-for-3, Jost was 2-for-4. Goudeau, Ropple and Cam Petit added base hits.
Smith pitched allowed no runs on two hits while fanning six in five innings of work. Ropple pitched two innings with no hits allowed and struck out four.
The Dawgs scored their second 2-2 tie of the season in the opener Friday against Austin Royals Homeschool.
Ropple was 2-for-3 with the game-tying RBI single in top of the 7th inning.  Johnson, Izquierdo and Ingram added singles in the contest.
Izquierdo pitched a complete game with no decision. He struck out 7, gave up six hits and 1 earned run.
Cove got right back in the win column with a 10-3 win in the Friday afternoon contest against Austin Bowie.
Michael Goudeau was 2-for-4 with a double and 4 RBIs while Cameron Johnson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Tyler Ingram was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, Nick Izquierdo was 3-for-4 and Jacob Wagner had a double. 
Hodges allowed two earned runs on two hits while fanning three in five innings. Ropple went two innings with 2 Ks and allowed one hit.
The Dawgs closed the tournament with an 18-0 run-rule shutout of Austin Travis on Saturday.
Cove combined for 12 hits while surrendering just two in the five-inning contest.
Colby Jost was a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs and Justin Velesky was also a perfect 2 for 2 with a solo home run. Smith, Petet, Izquierdo, Ingram, Ropple, Goudeau and Austin Reneau all had hits in the win.
Michael Goudeau pitched a complete game, giving up 2 hits and striking out six.