LAGRANGE, Ga. -- Less than a day removed from an impressive display of pitching from Micah Mabe, Covenant freshman Garrett Kriston tossed a complete-game four-hitter in game one as Covenant earned a 3-1 victory over LaGrange. In the second game, LaGrange's bats awoke as the Panthers salvaged the final game of the series with a 12-4 win.
Covenant moves to 25-12 on the season, while LaGrange goes to 21-19 overall.
Game One: Covenant 3, LaGrange 1
Kriston was masterful as he worked all nine innings and allowed just four hits while striking out eight on only 79 pitches and the Scots produced just enough offense to take a 3-1 victory.
The win gave Covenant the weekend series win.
The freshman right-hander, Kriston surrendered just one unearned run in the third inning as LaGrange's Josh Shiver scored on a dropped fly ball. After that, Kriston (4-2) did not allow a hit and walked just one as he notches his fourth victory of the season.
Covenant got on the scoreboard first in the third inning when K.C. Simons drove in Paul Phillips with a sacrifice fly. After LaGrange had knotted the score at 1-1 in its half of the third, Covenant answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth.
Scott Gillespie and Tyler Baker led off the inning with consecutive singles then moved to third and second, respectively, on a wild pitch. Chris Rollins plated Gillespie with an RBI ground out and Phillips followed with a triple that brought home Baker to make it 3-1.
Covenant had nine hits in the game as Phillips went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Will Cleland and Gillespie had two hits apiece.
LaGrange starter Robby Williams (3-4) pitched well but gets the loss after he allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits in eight innings of work. Anthony Iannetta went 2-for-4 for the Panthers.
Game Two: LaGrange 12, Covenant 4
Covenant scored first, but LaGrange responded with a five-run second inning as the host Panthers salvaged game three of the series with a 12-4 victory.
The Scots had 13 hits in the game with two hits apiece from David Lockwood, Sterling Witt, Perry Rigby, and K.C. Simons. Covenant scored first in the top of the first inning as Cleland led off the frame with a double and was driven home on Witt's RBI single.
But LaGrange scored five times in the second inning, chasing Covenant starter Keith Rice in the process. The Panthers added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings as they built their lead to 7-1.
Covenant scored a run in the sixth on a Rollins sacrifice fly. The Scots then scored twice in the eighth as Phillips doubled home Rigby and Simons followed with an RBI single that plated Phillips.
Rice (1-5) is saddled with the loss for Covenant as he went 1.2 innings.
LaGrange starter Kenneth Strack (5-2) pitched seven innings allowing two runs and striking out four as he notches the win.
Covenant will play its final regular season game on Tuesday on the road against Piedmont. Game time is set for 7 p.m. in Demorest, Ga.
