MAYFIELD, Ky. -- Plagued by untimely errors, the Covenant Scots baseball team suffered its first loss in the NCCAA Mid-East Region Tournament on Wednesday night as they fell to Bluefield College 7-4. Covenant now faces an elimination game on Thursday when they face Mid-Continent at 1 p.m. The Scots defeated the host Cougars 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Bluefield (30-26) scored twice in the first inning thanks to a Joe Gatewood two-run single with one out. In the second inning, the Rams plated five runs, all unearned. Gatewood again was the thorn in Covenant's side as he cleared the bases with a two-out, three-run double to right field that made it 6-0 Bluefield. Zac Goodyear made it 7-0 with an RBI single that scored Gatewood.
Covenant scratched across three runs in the third inning with help from Bluefield errors. K.C. Simons and David Lockwood both reached on throwing errors to begin the inning, with Simons scoring on Lockwood's. James Rollins then drove in Lockwood with a single and the inning was capped with a Ben Chambers two-out RBI single that made it 7-3.
Both pitching staffs settled down through the middle innings. Covenant had a chance to cut into its deficit further in the fourth inning, but Bluefield threw out a runner at home and the Scots could not capitalize with runners on second and third with two outs.
In the seventh inning, Chambers lined a single to left field that scored James Rollins to make it 7-4.
Covenant then loaded the bases with two outs, but Bluefield reliever Andrew Kirks recovered and got the final out. Covenant starting pitcher Andre Glover (2-5) gets the loss after going two innings and allowing seven runs, though only two were earned, on seven hits. Reliever Brian Simons pitched four scoreless innings. Justin Lykins (1-7) records the win for Bluefield as he went four innings and conceded three runs, none earned, on four hits. Kirks picks up his first save of the year with seven strikeouts over three innings of work.
Rollins and Chambers each had a pair of hits for Covenant (24-19), with Chambers driving in two runs. Gatewood finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs for Bluefield.
For complete coverage of the NCCAA Mid-East Region Tournament, click here
