MACON, Ga. -- The Covenant softball team saw their doubleheader with Wesleyan moved to later in the day due to a wintry mix that covered roadways and made early travel hazardous. Playing in 60-degree weather, a stark removal from the snowy conditions of Lookout Mountain, the Lady Scots pushed the winning runs across in the final inning of both games, 3-2 in the first game and 6-5 in eight innings in the second, to sweep the twin-bill.
Game 1: Covenant 3, Wesleyan 2
In game one, Covenant had to rally with three runs in the final three innings to overcome a 2-0 deficit to come out on top.
In the third inning, the Wolves scored two unearned runs off of Covenant starter Cris Gant. Victoria Clower lifted a two-out double to left-center which scored Colleen DeGraaf, who had reached on an error. Two batters later, Melissa Webb singled to center to score Clower's pinch runner, Brooke Tussinger.
The Lady Scots had good chances in both the third and fourth innings, putting runners on first and second both times with less than two outs, but were unable to score.
In the fifth, though, they were able to get on the board. Joni Johnson got things started with a one-out double to left-center. After Hart lined out, Kaitlyn Sirmons and Morgan Lane put together back-to-back clutch two-out hits to tie the score.
In the bottom half of the inning, Wesleyan loaded the bases with just one out against new Covenant pitcher Johnson. Johnson, however, was able to get the next two batters out, on a strikeout and a grounder back to the pitcher, to preserve the tie.
The Lady Scots threatened again in the top of the sixth but Shade Epes was cut down at home trying to score on a double by Kendall Whann.
Going into the seventh, the game was still knotted at two apiece. Covenant looked like it was going to be unable to break the tie and was looking to extend the game into extra innings until Sirmons reached on an error by third baseman Camillia Carter with two outs, advancing to second on the play. She was followed by Lane, who gave the Lady Scots the lead with a game-winning double.
Johnson (1-0) made it stand up by striking out two batters in the bottom of the seventh to notch her first career victory.
Lane collected two hits and two RBIs. Sirmons was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Johnson, who went 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, also knocked out two hits and scored a run.
Webb (0-2) went the distance for Wesleyan, giving up 10 hits and two earned runs in the loss.
Game 2: Covenant 6, Wesleyan 5 (8 innings)
Covenant saw a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning disappear, but the Lady Scots scored once in the top of the eighth to pull out a 6-5 win and a doubleheader sweep.
In the top of the eighth, Whann started at second and was brought home when Wesleyan misplayed a sacrifice bunt from Sirmons. Gant shut the door on the Wolves in the bottom half of the inning to secure the sweep.
Lane and Jordan Brett each had two RBIs and Amanda English had one.
Covenant will have their first mid-week action of the young season when they travel to Decatur, Ga., to play a doubleheader with Agnes Scott starting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Be sure to follow the Scots all season long on athletics.covenant.edu and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news and other information.
