LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The Covenant baseball team recorded eight extra-base hits, including two home runs, and received a complete-game performance from starter Micah Mabe to defeat Greensboro 8-1 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
Covenant has won two straight and goes to 12-17 overall and 8-11 in the USA South. The loss for Greensboro is its fifth straight and drops the Pride to 11-21 on the year and 10-15 in league play.
Coming off a 15-run effort on Tuesday at Sewanee that saw the Scots pound out nine extra-base hits, the bats were again clicking on Friday. Six different players recorded a double, while Scott Gillespie and Z Arima supplied the home runs.
The offense backed Mabe who threw his second complete-game of the year, and seventh of his career. The senior lefty scattered seven hits and allowed one run while striking out four. Mabe threw 119 pitches, 81 for strikes.
It took two batters for Covenant to score in the home half of the first. KC Simons led off with a walk and Will Cleland started the doubles parade with a drive to left-center field that plated Simons. After Cleland stole third, he scored on an RBI groundout by Gillespie to make it 2-0.
Covenant added a run in the second on an Arima RBI single to right-center that enabled Alex Kerr to score from third.
The lead grew to 4-0 in the fifth when Gillespie blasted a no-doubt solo home run to left-center field. The homer was Gillespie's fifth of the year and second in as many games. Gillespie has homered in three of the last four games overall.
In the seventh, Covenant used three consecutive doubles with two outs to extend the lead to 6-0. Gillespie hustled for a double on a ball hit up the middle to start the rally and Caleb Bloye and Will Carlton followed with run-scoring doubles.
In the eighth, Arima hit his first career homer, a two-run shot to left field, that put the Scots ahead 8-0. Greensboro tallied a run in the ninth for the final margin.
Gillespie finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and Arima went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Kerr added three hits in four at-bats with a run.
Greensboro starter Adam Murray (2-2) picks up the loss as he allowed six runs on 10 hits in seven innings. The freshman left-hander threw 115 pitches as he battled with his control in the early innings.
Games two and three of the series will take place on Saturday. First pitch of the day's first game is set for 1 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.
