LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- On Senior Day, the Covenant softball team could not get past USA South foe North Carolina Wesleyan as the visiting Battling Bishops took both games of the doubleheader. N.C. Wesleyan took game one 6-3 before winning game two 11-0 in five innings.
Senior Cori Hilt was recogized after the day's games for her efforts, contributions and dedication to the program. Hilt is a four-year player who has thrown over 300 innings in her career. She authored the sixth no-hitter in program history on April 9, 2013 and in doing so became the first pitcher in the program to toss a complete-game no-no.
Morgan Lane did not record a hit in either game to snap her program-record 17-game hitting streak.
Game 1: N.C. Wesleyan 6, Covenant 3
N.C. Wesleyan scored three runs in the top of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and the Bishops would hang on for the 6-3 victory in Saturday's first game.
Peyton Hyler had the g-ahead RBI single in the seventh and starting pitcher Jasmine Edgren added a two-run single for the game's final tally. Covenant would get the leadoff hitter aboard in its half of the seventh as Kasey Hart singled, but the Lady Scots could not bring the potential tying run to the plate.
Covenant starter Cris Gant was effective in her outing. The right-hander went five innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Joni Johnson (3-3) gets the loss after surrendering two earned runs in two innings of work.
Covenant took a 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning. Johnson led off with a walk and later advanced to third before scoring on Jordan Brett's RBI single to left field. The Lady Scots added another run in the second when Amanda English scored on a throwing error after an infield single by Hart to make it 2-0.
After N.C. Wesleyan made it 2-2 in the top of the fourth, Covenant answered back with a run in the bottom of the inning to again stretch the lead to 3-1. Hart came through again, this time with a single to right-center field that plated Kendall Whann.
N.C. Wesleyan tied the score again with a run in the fifth and then would add three runs in the seventh to take the lead for good.
Edgren (6-2) picks up the win as she went the distance allowing three runs, two earned, while scattering 10 hits and striking out two. Edgren was also 4-for-4 with two RBIs at the plate. Hyler added three hits and two RBIs for N.C. Wesleyan.
Hart finished 3-for-3 with an RBI while English and Whann had two hits apiece.
Game 2: N.C. Wesleyan 11, Covenant 0 (5 innings)
The second game of the doubleheader went all N.C. Wesleyan's way. The Bishops scored eight runs in the second inning and starting pitcher Logan Lowery tossed a one-hit shutout as the visitors claimed a sweep with an 11-0 win in five innings.
Hilt came on in relief to throw two innings. The senior allowed just one hit and one unearned run in her appearance on Senior Day.
N.C. Wesleyan scored eight times on seven hits in the second, highlighted by back-to-back solo home runs from Kendra Hoes and Sarah Bowyer. The visitors added two more runs in the third and another in the fourth for the final tally.
Lowery (2-6) was sharp from the start as she allowed just one hit, a Joni Johnson single, and struck out three in five innings. Lowery needed 73 pitches, 43 for strikes, to get the victory. Sarah Roberts and Hyler had two RBIs apiece for N.C. Wesleyan while Kaitlyn Checkan, Hoes and Edgren each recorded two hits.
Tyler Epes (3-3) gets the loss as she lasted 1.1 innings.
Covenant will be back in action on Lookout Mountain on Tuesday against nationally-ranked Emory. The non-conference doubleheader starts at 2 p.m.
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.
