MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- After coming up just short in a comeback attempt on Friday night, the Covenant baseball team could not bounce back as they dropped both games of a doubleheader to USA South foe Huntingdon on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks won a pitcher's duel 1-0 in game one followed by an 11-1 victory in the second game.
Covenant drops to 6-4 overall on the year and 3-3 in the USA South. Huntingdon continues its hot start to conference action as the Hawks now stand at 8-1 in the league with a 12-5 overall record.
The first game on Saturday saw a quickly-played pitcher's duel between the Scots' Garrett Kriston and Huntingdon's Jackson Cruce. Combined, the pitchers allowed one run on eight hits with 15 strikeouts and both threw complete-games. The game lasted one hour and 31 minutes.
Unfortunately for the Scots, the one run was scored by the Hawks. Clark Berry put down a bunt single that allowed Landon Sessions to score from third base in the bottom of the third inning for the game's lone run.
Kriston (2-1) allowed one run on three hits, while striking out 10 with no walks in eight innings of work. The sophomore right-hander has struck out 10 batters in each of his first three starts and the run allowed was his first of the season in 23 innings.
As good as Kriston was, Cruce matched him on the Huntindon side. Cruce (4-0) remains perfect on the year after he went all nine innings and scattered five hits with five strikeouts.
Covenant's best chance to score came early in the contest. The Scots put runners on first and third with two outs in the first inning and then had a runner reach third in the second inning, but runners were left stranded both times. The Scots had just two hits after the second inning against Cruce.
Scott Gillespie went 2-for-3 in game one, while Will Cleland, Perry Rigby and Will Carlton each had a hit in the loss.
In game two, Huntingdon scored four unearned runs in the first inning and Hawks starter Gavin Free struck out 14 in a complete-game gem to lead Huntingdon to an 11-1 win.
Free (3-2) allowed one unearned run on seven hits with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Tyler Blackwell, Will Pharis and Cheston Wesson each had two RBIs for the Hawks.
Covenant starting pitcher Alhanon Miller (1-2) gets the loss as he went seven innings and surrendered six runs, though only two were earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts. David Lockwood led the Scots with two hits in three at-bats with an RBI.
Covenant will be back in action on Monday when they face No. 23-ranked Birmingham Southern. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET.
