ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Covenant baseball team fell behind 5-1 in the middle innings before cutting its deficit to one run, but host Oglethorpe held on for a 6-5 victory at a rainy Anderson Field on Tuesday night in non-conference action.

The loss is the first of the year for Covenant (5-1), while Oglethorpe (1-0) wins its season opener.

Luke Harvey went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a pair of stolen bases, while Z Arima and Julien Amorelli also had two hits apiece in the loss. Caleb Bloye and Jay Epperson had the other two hits for the Scots and Devin Cerrato added an RBI.

Oglethorpe struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning when Adrian Celata tripled home Austin Ferlita to give the Petrels a 1-0 lead. Covenant answered back in the top of the second when Amorelli laced a double to left field that chased home Joel Johnson from second base to tie the game at 1-1.

The Petrels' Brandon Fish hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second and Oglethorpe added single runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 5-1 lead.

Covenant would rally back, though, in the top of the fifth Cerrato drew a bases loaded walk and Harvey followed with a two-run single that plated Arima and Epperson to cut the deficit to 5-4. Trailing 6-4 in the seventh, Bloye singled home Harvey making it 6-5 but the Scots would not be able to chase home the tying run.

Covenant starter Ryan Gosney (0-1) went four innings and picks up the loss. Drew Bradley and Alec Mitchell combined to allow one run on four hits in four innings of work out of the bullpen.

Oglethorpe employed five pitchers and reliever Joe Marco (1-0) notched the win as he went 2.2 innings allowing one run. Justin Thigpen got the final five outs to record the save.

Celata finished 3-for-5 with with an RBI, while Fish went 1-for-4 with two RBIs for Oglethorpe.

UP NEXT

Covenant will play in the Rhodes Classic this weekend in Memphis, Tenn. The Scots face Huntingdon (12 p.m.) and nationally-ranked Rhodes (3 p.m.) on Friday before facing another nationally-ranked foe in Webster on Saturday (12 p.m.).

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