LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Despite three hits and two runs driven in by Sterling Witt, the Covenant baseball team suffered its second straight defeat at the hands of Maryville on Friday afternoon by a score of 6-5.

With the win, Maryville clinches the series win and will go for the three-game sweep on Saturday. Covenant falls back to .500 at 13-13 overall and 4-7 in conference play.

Covenant trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. K.C. Simons and David Lockwood each had bloop singles to leadoff the inning and put runners at first and third with no outs. James Rollins then extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single to left-center field that scored Simons to make it 6-5 with still no one out.

Maryville brought in closer Austin Patton and the lefty was able to get the next three Covenant hitters out to end the Scots' threat and give Maryville the win.

Covenant starting pitcher Andre Glover pitched six effective innings for the Scots. Glover allowed four runs, three earned, while scattering 10 hits and striking out three. Maryville starter Trevor Brackett matched Glover's outing by going 6.2 innings and giving up four runs on six hits and five walks.

Maryville scored single runs in each of the first four innings. Landon Talley singled in a run with two outs in the first to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Mikee Moore and Nic Baker each had RBI singles in the second and third innings, respectively.

The Scots scratched across a run in the bottom of the first inning as Witt doubled with two outs and was driven home on a Scott Gillespie RBI single one batter later. Covenant then cut into its 4-1 deficit in the fourth inning when Chris Rollins led off with a bunt single and was brought home on Ben Chambers double to left-center field to make it 4-2.

The score remained 4-2 until the bottom of the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter Paul Phillips and James Rollins both walked to setup a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Witt to tie the game at 4-4.

Maryville regained the lead in the eighth inning when Sam Waltermyer homered to left field to give the visitors a 5-4 lead. Maryville would add another insurance run that augmented its lead to 6-4.

Brian Simons (0-3) gets the loss for the Scots as he allowed both runs in the eighth inning. Wes Dobson (2-2) picks up the win in relief for Maryville, while Patton recorded his sixth save of the season.

Witt finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored for Covenant. Cory Kopec, Blake Gentry, Moore, and Matt Jones each had two hits for Maryville.

Covenant and Maryville will finish their three-game series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.