LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Backed by solid pitching and timely hitting, the Covenant baseball team extended its winning streak to nine games with a doubleheader sweep of non-conference foe Sewanee on Wednesday afternoon. The Scots took game one 7-1 and then pulled away for a 12-1 victory in game two. Both games were seven inning contests.
The nine-game win streak is now the longest in modern program history, surpassing last year's eight-game win streak. Covenant moves to 18-6 overall for the season, while Sewanee drops to 8-17 for the year.
GAME ONE: Covenant 7, Sewanee 1
In the day's first game, starter Taylor Bloye and reliever Spencer Smith combined to allow one run on seven hits and the Scots took full advantage of their five hits in a 7-1 win.
Bloye threw three scoreless innings and allowed two hits. Smith (1-1) relieved Bloye in the fourth and worked the final four innings surrendering one run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Covenant scored single runs in both the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. Perry Rigby had a sacrifice fly in the first and Luke Harvey singled in a run in the second. The Scots added two runs in the third as Scott Gillespie drove in Will Cleland, who led off the inning with a triple, with a single. Gillespie would later score on a Sewanee fielding error to make it 4-0.
Sewanee got a run back in the fourth with Zack Sutton's RBI single, but Covenant wrapped up the scoring with three runs in the sixth, all with two outs. KC Simons tripled home Harvey and Paul Phillips, and then scored on a wild pitch that gave the Scots a 7-1 lead.
Gillespie led Covenant offensively going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Simons finished 1-for-3 with a run and two RBIs, while Cleland and Harvey each went 1-for-2. Harvey scored a run and drove a run in and Cleland scored twice.
Sewanee starting pitcher Alex Mockett (2-3) gets the loss after lasting two innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits. Jack Whaley and Michael Walker each had two hits for the visiting Tigers.
GAME TWO: Covenant 12, Sewanee 1
Covenant scored eight runs between the fifth and six innings to turn a tight ballgame into a rout as the Scots finished off the doubleheader sweep with a 12-1 victory.
Rigby went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and five other Scots had multple hits. Simons finished 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, Cleland went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Phillips, Chris Rollins and Alex Kerr also had two hits apiece. Rollins scored twice and Kerr had one run scored. Gillespie went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and David Lockwood was 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
Covenant scored four times, on only two hits, in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead. Gillespie highlighted the frame with a two-run single that plated Simons and Harvey. Earlier in the inning, Simons drew a bases-loaded walk and Cleland was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Scots scored three times in the fifth. Rollins produced an RBI on a fielder's choice and later scored himself on a Sewanee error. Harvey drove in pinch-runner Will Carlton with a double to right-center field to make it 7-1. In the sixth, Covenant scored five runs as back-to-back home runs by Rigby and Lockwood put the game out of reach.Rigby's homer was a three-run shot to left field, his second of the year, and Lockwood followed with a solo homer to left-center field, his second of the season.
Jordan Lester (4-1) started and picked up the win for Covenant. Lester went four innings and gave up two hits and struck out one. Rollins and Ben Mitchell combined to throw 2.2 scoreless and no-hit innings in relief.
Sewanee's Tony Dykes (0-1) receives the loss after throwing two-plus innings and allowing four runs. Chris Erdmier went 2-for-2 with a run to lead the Tigers' offense.
Covenant will host a crucial three-game USA South series this weekend against Ferrum. The Scots and Panthers are currently first and second, respectively, in the conference. Game one of the series is set for Friday at 4 p.m.
