BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- No. 7-ranked Birmingham Southern took both games of the doubleheader against the Covenant baseball team on Saturday at Striplin Field. The Scots dropped game one 6-1 before losing 6-2 in the nightcap.
The losses drop Covenant to 7-9 overall on the year. Birmingham Southern, ranked seventh in the D3baseball.com Top 25 while receiving two first place votes in the poll, improves to 14-0.
Game 1: Birmingham Southern 6, Covenant 1
The Scots got seven hits off Panthers starting pitcher Blake Stevens, but could muster just one run and Birmingham Southern pulled out a 6-1 victory in game one on Saturday.
Covenant had five hits in the first three innings off Stevens, but the Panthers ace was able to work out of jams in those innings to keep the Scots off the scoreboard.
Birmingham Southern scored two runs in both the second and third innings to go ahead 4-0. Covenant starter Garrett Kriston limited the damage to only two runs in the second after the Panthers loaded the bases with nobody out. In the third, Jacob Mayfield and Sam Roberts each had RBIs to make it 4-0.
Covenant got a run back in the fourth when Perry Rigby was hit by a pitch to start the inning and later scored on Alex Kerr's infield single and subsequent throwing error by the Panthers shortstop.
But that would be all Covenant got off Stevens (4-0) who went six innings allowing one unearned run on seven hits with eight strikeouts.
Kriston (2-3) also went six innings surrendering four runs on eight hits. Kerr had two of Covenant's seven hits and finished 2-for-3.
Game 2: Birmingham Southern 6, Covenant 2
A five-run first inning lifted Birmingham Southern to a doubleheader sweep as they took game two 6-2 over the Scots.
Scott Gillespie, Caleb Bloye and Rigby each had a hit for Covenant, while Will Carlton and Luke Harvey produced RBIs. Micah Mabe (2-2) picks up the loss after he allowed six runs, five earned, in six innings with three strikeouts. Mabe allowed five runs in the first but settled down after that as he retired the final eight hitters he faced.
Mayfield blasted a three-run home run to highlight the five-run first for the Panthers. Roberts and Wes Kent also had run-scoring singles in the frame.
Covenant answered back with a run in the second on Harvey's RBI groundout that plated Carlton. The Scots tallied another in the sixth on Carlton's sacrifice fly that scored Gillespie.
Birmingham Southern used six different pitchers in the game, but it was starter Ryan Gaines (4-0) who picked up the victory. Gaines lasted four innings giving up one unearned run on one hit.
Covenant will return to action on Tuesday against non-conference rival Berry. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Lookout Mountain.
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.
