MARYVILLE, Tenn. -- Covenant rallied in their final at-bat in game one to win 5-3, but then fell to Maryville College in game two 9-4 in softball action Saturday afternoon. The loss in game two snapped a 9-game win streak for the Lady Scots as their record goes to 14-8 on the season. Maryville, a future foe for Covenant in the Great South Athletic Conference, goes to 9-13 for the year.
The game one rally was the second straight game that Covenant came from behind to win a game in their final at-bat. On Friday, the Lady Scots erased a one-run deficit in the bottom of the 7th to beat Huntingdon College.
This time, Covenant found itself tied at 2-2 going into the 7th inning. After the first two batters were retired to start the inning, Lindsey Potter walked and Morgan Booker reached on an error. Lauren Johns then delivered a pinch-hit single that plated Potter from third and put Covenant up 3-2. Beth Harris added some insurance runs for Covenant as she tripled to right field, bringing home two runs.
Covenant starter Chelsea Krafft pitched another complete-game, her 12th of the year, as she was able to work out of trouble in the bottom of the 7th to get her 11th win of the season. Krafft allowed only 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 11 batters and walking just 2. During the game, Krafft recorded her 100th strikeout of the season, and now has a total of 110 punch outs.
After Maryville had taken an early 1-0 lead, Booker tied the game for Covenant in the 5th inning when she blasted her 3rd home run of the season, a solo shot. Maryville took the lead with a run in the bottom of the 5th, but Courtney Wagoner tied it up again with an RBI single in the 6th inning that scored Christine Core from second to make it a 2-2 game.
In game two, Covenant took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 2nd inning. Harris scored on an error in the 1st inning, and in the 2nd inning Booker again went deep to give the Lady Scots a two run lead. Booker now leads the Lady Scots in home runs with 4.
But Maryville bounced back on the strength of two home runs in the bottom of the 2nd. Andrea Brew hit a 2-run home run to left field that tied the game at 2-2. Then later in the same inning, Leah Kelley cleared the bases with a 3-run home run that gave Maryville a 5-2 advantage.
Maryville would cruise from there as they added two runs in the 4th and 5th innings each. Covenant scored single runs in the 5th and 6th innings as they tried to rally again. Core hit a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning that brought home Harris and then in the 6th, Potter grounded out to shortstop as Kim Cuticchia scored. But the deficit was too great for the Lady Scots to overcome as they fell for the first time since March 23.
Covenant returns home for its next doubleheader against Truett-McConnell College on Tuesday, April 12. Game one is set for 4:00pm on Lookout Mountain.
