The turnaround is almost complete.

Centerfielder Mike Lang (3-4, HR, 2 RBI) provided some of the biggest offensive heroics for the Senators. He led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo homer and then smacked an RBI single an inning later, driving in shortstop Sam Greenberg.

Seventh-seeded Haymarket (28-23) managed to capitalize on mistakes by eighth-seeded Covington (26-26) twice in the second inning as Greenberg made it to first on an error at third base just before Covington pitcher Benedy Mejia (8 IP, 5R, 3ER, 6K) hit first baseman Jim Vahalik.

Vahalik came home on a sacrifice fly by Zeth Stone, giving the Senators a 3-0 lead after two innings.

"He had been throwing the ball well but we knew that if we took some pitches and got deep in the count, that he was going to eventually leave one over," said Greenberg of Mejia.

Covington struck back with a run in the third and tied the game in the top of the sixth inning when starter Jack Leathersich tossed a wild pitch that went in the dirt to the left of catcher Evan Noell, allowing Lammar Guy to score from third.

Haymarket manager Ryan Fecteau pulled his all-star starter in favor of Bob Van Woert, who fanned the first batter he faced on three pitches.

A two-out single by Stone in the sixth scored Greenberg, who reached on a leadoff walk, from second base and Lang scored again on a sac fly from Stone in the eighth to give Haymarket a 5-3 lead entering the ninth inning.

With two on and two out, Junior Arrojo fell down in the count 1-2. The right-hander stayed alive with a foul grounder down the third base line, a fact not lost on Greenberg at shortstop as he positioned himself ready for a likely pull shot to either himself or third baseman Greg Hopkins.

Then, it happened.

Arrojo ripped a hanging pitch toward left field on a shoulder-high liner that would surely have scored a run from second if it hit the ground.

Greenberg, however, stepped and dove completely off the ground and extended his glove out at full length, spearing the rocket shot to his right with his glove for out No. 3.

"I see it's a line drive off the bat," said Greenberg of the play. "I know I'm going to have to make a dive for it. I dove early. I just wanted to make sure I had it; squeeze it with two hands."

That came to the benefit of closer Grant Sasser (2 IP, 2H, 0R), who gave up a single and a walk to put runners on base in the first place that inning.

"That's the best feeling as a pitcher, being able to go on the mound, knowing that even if you don't have your best stuff and they hit you, you've still got a pretty good chance of going well because of your defense," said Sasser.

According to Covington manager James Conrad, there was not much more his team could have done that inning as they brought some of their best men to bat.

"Our guys have a good approach to the plate," said Conrad, adding, "Those were all the right guys up in that situation."

The Jacks biggest problem was not reaching base despite only registering four hits all night. Leathersich ended up walking seven batters in 5.2 innings of work, one more than he struck out.

Rather, for each of the the first six innings, Covington left a runner on base, five of which were in scoring position. This is where the Haymarket defense showed why the Senators are a single win away from capturing the Lineweaver Cup.

"I'll tell you: it's fun watching them," said Fecteau of his defenders, concluding that, "They're living and dying on every play. It's great."