ROME, Ga. -- Last year, the Covenant Lady Scots softball program started 0-23 and had to wait until the month of April to record its first win. However, that was last year, and this is now. The Lady Scots wasted no time this year in getting their first wins with an opening doubleheader sweep of Berry College by scores of 5-3 in game one, and 6-5 in game two. In game one, the Lady Scots and Lady Vikings went down to the wire in the 7th, and it was Courtney Wagoner's 2-RBI single with two outs that was the eventual game-winner.
After neither team could get any offense going through the first four innings, Covenant broke through in the top of the 5th with the help of a crucial Berry error. With one out, Sonja Townsend reached first base on a bunt single, then stole second base. Beth Harris then came to the plate with two outs and Townsend still stuck at second. Harris hit the ball to the left side, but Berry couldn't make the play, allowing Townsend to score from second, and Harris to advanced to second, putting the Lady Scots up 1-0. Kim Cuticchia then singled home Harris to make it a 2-0 game.
Berry responded with 3 runs on 4 hits in the bottom half of the 5th, all runs coming with 2 outs. Jessica Washington, Chelsea Usher, and Kristen Stoll each had run-producing hits to give the Lady Vikings a 3-2 lead.
Wagoner then led off the top of the 6th with a double, Rebekah Marbury followed that up with a 1-out double of her own, and Lindsey Potter then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Wagoner from third base, tying the game at 3.
In the 7th, Wagoner became the hero for the Lady Scots, driving a hard grounder up the middle and into center field. Starting pitcher Chelsea Krafft got the win for the Covenant while Andrea Cole was saddled with the loss for the Lady Vikings.
In game two, Covenant got on the board quickly with 3 runs in the 1st inning, all coming with 2 outs. After the first two batters recorded outs, Wagoner continued her hot hitting with a single and was then brought home by a Jennie Jobe double. Kristen Walker was then hit by a pitch; Potter then drove both Jobe and Walker in with a hit, putting the Lady Scots up 3-0.
Berry countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the 1st, but the Lady Scots got the run back in the top of the 2nd thanks to a Berry error that allowed Christine Core to score after her attempted steal of second base.
In the 3rd, Covenant added to their lead with a Wagoner double that was followed up by a Jobe single and then another error by Berry allowing Wagoner to score to put Covenant up 5-1.
The Lady Vikings would not give up, however, and scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 3rd to cut the Lady Scots lead to just one at 5-4. Covenant added a much-needed insurance run in the top of the 5th when Jobe got her third hit, and second double, that drove in Cuticchia to make it 6-4.
Covenant would hang on after Berry scored a run in the 6th to once again cut the Lady Scots lead to one at 6-5. Krafft came on in the 7th and struck out two to shut the door on the Lady Vikings and secure the win and the sweep for Covenant (2-0). Sonja Townsend got the win for Covenant in game two going 6 innings and striking out 3.
On the day, Courtney Wagoner was 5-7 with 2 RBIs and a walk while Jennie Jobe was a perfect 3-3 in game two with 2 RBIs. The Lady Scots produced a total of 11 runs on 20 hits for the day. Covenant committed just 2 errors in the two games combined while Berry made 4.
The Lady Scots will not play again for over a week. Covenant will host a double-header against rival Bryan College on Tuesday, March 1 with game one starting at 5:00pm. The games will be played at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
