LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Saturday afternoon saw blue skies and some of the warmest weather of the spring so far. But visiting Salem spoiled the beautiful weather as the Spirits swept a doubleheader from Covenant winning game one 8-3 before taking the second game 11-4.
Chandler Shepherd and Courtney Wagoner each had three hits on the day for the Lady Scots who fall to 2-22 on the season and 1-7 in league play. Wagoner also had three RBIs in game two.
Game One: Salem 8, Covenant 3
Salem scored three runs each in the first and second innings before claiming an 8-3 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.
Trailing 6-0 after an inning and a half, Covenant scored single runs in the second and third. The Lady Scots were the beneficiary of an illegal pitch from Salem's Allie Watkins that allowed Morgan Lane to score in the second inning. In the third, consecutive singles by Wagoner and Lauren Johns opened up an chance for Lane to get an RBI ground out making it 6-2.
Cori Hilt (2-10) started for Covenant and went all seven innings striking out three. Watkins (6-15) gets the victory for Salem as she struck out eight over seven innings of work.
Kierston Garner went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run, while Kristi Morton was 4-for-4 with two runs scored for Salem.
Game Two: Salem 11, Covenant 4
Covenant held a 3-2 lead going into the fifth inning, but Salem exploded for eight runs in the top of the fifth as they pulled away for an 11-4 win in game two.
The Lady Scots trailed 1-0 after the top of the first, but knotted the score in the bottom half of the inning when Wagoner singled home Shepherd.
Covenant again found themselves down 2-1 going into the bottom of the third. Shepherd led off with a single to left field that was followed by Jenni Jobe reaching on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Wagoner lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that plated Shepherd and Johns followed with a perfect safety squeeze bunt that allowed Jobe to score giving Covenant a 3-2 lead.
But Salem would have the final answer as they scored eight times on eight hits and took advantage of two costly Covenant errors in the fifth inning to take a 10-3 lead.
Wagoner finished 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and Shepherd was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Jobe also scored twice, while Lane and Madison Quirk each added a hit for Covenant.
Covenant starter Hannah Rogers (0-9) picks up the loss. Rogers was effective through four innings before having a rough fifth inning. She allowed 10 runs, but just three were earned. Hilt came on in relief to throw the final 2.1 innings.
Watkins (7-15) also picked up the win in game two. She went all seven innings allowing four runs, three earned, and struck out two.
Covenant will be in action on Tuesday when they travel to Macon, Ga., to take on Wesleyan for a GSAC doubleheader. Game one is set for 3 p.m.
