LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The Covenant Scots baseball team played its final home games of the season on Tuesday afternoon in a doubleheader against the Hiwassee College Tigers. The Scots swept the doubleheader from Hiwassee by winning game one 11-0 and game two 10-1.
The wins for Covenant puts its record at 21-17 overall. This marks the third consecutive season that the Scots have won at least 20 games.
Game One
The first two innings went by quickly with a single hit. The Scots then pulled away from the Tigers in the bottom of the third with four runs. With the bases loaded, Sterling Witt hit a two-RBI single into right field. Two singles and a sacrifice bunt later, Witt and James Rollins scored to make it 4-0. Covenant would never relinquish the lead.
The Scots then went on to score seven runs in the fourth inning. The big play of the inning started with bases loaded and Paul Phillips up to bat with two outs. Phillips managed to pull out a triple to the fence in center field to clear the bases and reached home on a throwing error by the shortstop to make it 9-0.
Following Phillips' triple, Rollins capped the fourth inning with a two-run single that plated K.C. Simons and Drew Wixon. The Scots finished 11-0 in the fifth inning due to the run-rule.
Freshmen starting pitcher Keith Rice (4-1) of the Scots was given the win. Rice pitched all five innings with only three hits and two strikeouts in 58 pitches, 42 being strikes. Hiwassee pitcher Bryan Woodlief was saddled with the loss after three innings and six earned runs.
Almost every starter ended with at least a run. Both Rollins and Witt ended 2-for-2, with Rollins scoring a run and driving in two while Witt had two runs and three RBIs. Phillips went 1-for-2 with a single run and three RBIs.
Game Two
Coming off the win of game one, the Scots went on to finish the doubleheader sweep with a 10-1 win.
Covenant started the scoring with a double by David Lockwood that plated Chris Rollins in the third inning. The Scots then scored four runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Jonathan Carter, Will Cleland, and Chris Rollins each had RBI-producing hits in the fourth to go along with Kurt Wiles' sacrifice fly. James Rollins connected on his fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot to left field, in the fifth. Carter tripled home Phillips later in the fifth inning and Cleland finished the scoring with an RBI single.
The Tigers managed to score a run in the fifth inning. With Garrison Sisson on first base, Austin Below nailed a triple that put a run on the scoreboard, but it was not nearly enough offense on this day.
Covenant pitcher Micah Mabe (2-4) was awarded the win for the Scots going six innings and allowing one run while striking out six. Hiwassee starting pitcher Wesley Campbell was given the loss after 4.2 innings.
As with the first game, nearly every started scored a run. Lockwood ended 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. James Rollins went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Chris Rollins went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Carter was 2-for-3 with two runs and RBIs. Cleland finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
The Scots finish the season on Saturday, April 28 in Atlanta against Point University for a doubleheader. Game one is set to start at 1 p.m.
