Copperas Cove Bulldawgs Crush ISBL Austin 13-1, Snapping Three-Game Skid

The last time Copperas Cove and ISBL Austin shared a diamond, it was close. Monday was not. Kyle Eberhard and Jason Riley each went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and a triple as the Bulldawgs put the hurt on the Waves in a 13-1 non-conference rout at home, snapping a three-game losing streak and pulling the program back to even at 13-13.

The offense was clean and nearly punchout-free. Copperas Cove hit smart and finished with only one team strikeout, making consistent contact while running the bases with purpose: Eberhard stole a bag on top of his three runs scored. Jirah Anzaldua went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs, spreading the production across the lineup and keeping pressure off any single bat.

Riley's stat line carried its own subplot. The Bulldawgs are 4-2 when he scores at least two runs and 9-11 when he does not. Monday he scored three, going 2-for-2 with a triple and two RBIs to anchor the middle of the offensive damage.

ISBL Austin dropped to 2-5-1 with the loss.

The road gets harder immediately. Copperas Cove, ranked 715th in the MaxPreps Texas Rankings, will face Harker Heights at 7:00 p.m. Friday. Harker Heights sits 231st in the same rankings, a gap of nearly 500 spots. Whether the Bulldawgs can carry Monday's balanced, contact-driven offensive approach into a stiffer test will say more about this team's second half than a 12-run win over an outmatched opponent ever could.