DEMOREST, Ga. -- Fifth-seeded Rhodes scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase a 3-0 deficit and defeat the sixth-seeded Covenant baseball team 5-3 in the NCAA Division III South Regional on Thursday night in Demorest.
The loss ends the Scots' season with a 26-15 overall record. Rhodes (33-16) advances to Friday's action against an opponent to be determined.
Covenant gained a 3-0 lead with a single run in the fourth inning and two more in the seventh. Chris Rollins drove in Perry Rigby from third with a two-out double to right-center field in the fourth inning to give the Scots their first lead of the tournament at 1-0.
In the seventh, the Scots scored twice on two hits. David Lockwood led off the frame with a single and stole second base. After a Will Carlton walk, Z Arima punched a line drive single to right field that plated Lockwood and moved Carlton to third with one away. KC Simons would drive in Carlton with an RBI ground out to make it a 3-0 game.
Rhodes rallied in the eighth, however. The Lynx scored five times, while tallying just one hit in the inning. Patrick Killkenny put the fifth-seeded Lynx on the board with an RBI single. A throwing error mixed with consecutive bases loaded walks and a wild pitch allowed for four more runs to come across in the frame as Rhodes grabbed a 5-3 lead.
Down to their final three outs, the Scots started the ninth with a single from Carlton but could not complete the comeback.
The loss marked the first time all season that Covenant was defeated when leading after six innings. The Scots were previously 24-0 in that stat.
Covenant received a tremendous outing from Alhanon Miller. Miller went 7.1 innings and allowed one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts. Rollins (4-1) picked up the loss in a relief effort.
Scott Gillespie tallied two more hits and had four hits in the two games at the South Regional. Rigby and Lockwood also had two hits apiece, while Rollins, Carlton, Arima and Simons had one each. Paul Phillips was hit by a pitch twice to add to his program-record total of 18 this season. Phillips holds both the program career and single season hit-by-pitch records.
Rhodes reliever Max Halasz (4-1) gets credit for the win after throwing the final 1.2 innings allowing one hit. Starter Adam Putnam lasted 7.1 innings and scattered nine hits with three earned runs.
