LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The threat of rain in the forecast could not keep the Scots from playing against the Emory & Henry Wasps in the final game of the three-game series on Saturday morning. Covenant finished a series sweep of the Wasps with a 9-2 win.
The win caps a three-game series sweep for Covenant over the Wasps. The Scots outscored Emory & Henry 33-5 for the weekend.
Covenant got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Scott Gillespie walked with two outs and Chris Rollins slammed a triple into right center field to bring home Gillespie with the game's first run.
The Scots added on in the bottom of the fifth when James Rollins' two-out double to left field brought home Will Cleland. Sterling Witt followed Rollins' double with a three-run home run over the right field fence that scored David Lockwood and Rollins to make it 5-0 Scots. The homer for Witt was his first of the season and made it the third consecutive game that a Covenant player has connected for a home run.
The blast from Witt signaled the end of the day for Emory & Henry starter Joe Washburn. Matt Fisher replaced Washburn and allowed a bases-loaded walk to Cleland that forced home Gillespie with the inning's fifth run and gave Covenant a 6-0 lead. In total, 11 Scots batters came to the plate in the inning and all five runs were scored with two outs.
In the sixth, the Wasps landed a run of their own when Remington Hedgepeth's two-out double plated Josh McMillian all the way from first base. But Covenant reliever Micah Mabe worked out of the jam by striking out Colin Metz to end the threat.
Covenant responded with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kurt Wiles reached first on a bunt to third base, then stole second and third base on back-to-back pitches. Lockwood then brought in Wiles with a sharp ground ball that was mishandled by the Wasps. Three batters later, Gillespie came through again with a run-scoring single to left field to score Lockwood. Drew Wixon capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored James Rollins to make it 9-1 in favor of the home team.
Keith Rice and Demarius Johnson combined to throw the final three innings for Covenant. Johnson struck out five batters in his two innings of work. The Wasps squeezed out one more run in the eighth inning off Johnson when McMillian drove home Caleb Rotton with a single to right field.
Micah Mabe (1-0) was credited with the win after pitching five innings in relief of Covenant starter Witt. The freshman struck out four batters and allowed just three hits while pumping in 45 strikes in 60 total pitches. Washburn (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Wasps as he went 4.2 innings giving up five runs on four hits. The right-hander did not allow a hit until the fourth inning.
Lockwood, Gillespie, and James Rollins each had a hit and a pair of runs scored for Covenant. Witt ended the game 1-for-4 with three runs batted in. For the season, Witt has already collected a team-high 10 RBIs, inlcuding six RBIs in this series alone. Cleland and Wiles also attributed a run each to the score.
The Scots are on the road to Birmingham, Ala., next week to play Birmingham Southern College in a three-game series on Feb. 24 and 25.
