CARY, N.C. -- The Covenant baseball team could not hold on to a ninth inning lead as host William Peace scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to come away with a 9-8 win over the Scots on Saturday in USA South action.

All three games of the series were decided by one run. Covenant (10-15, 3-9 USA South) took the first two games on Friday before William Peace (13-17, 4-8 USA South) salvaged the finale on Saturday.

After William Peace took a 1-0 lead in the second, Covenant answered with two runs in the third to grab a 2-1 lead. Luke Harvey tripled home Zack Walch and Caleb Bloye followed with a sacrifice fly, one of three RBIs on the day for Bloye. 

William Peace regained the lead with two runs in the fifth to go ahead 3-2, but again Covenant had an answer. The Scots scored three runs, all coming with two outs, in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. Christian Murray doubled home Julien Amorelli and Bloye came up with a two-run double down the left field line that plated both Murray and Walch to cap the inning.

In the back-and-forth affair, the host Pacers again took a lead after a three-run seventh gave them a 6-5 edge. In the eighth, Covenant put together another two-out rally and scored three times to grab an 8-6 lead. Joel Johnson had a two-run single to center field and Trenton Nobles followed suit with an RBI single giving the Scots a two-run advantage.

But William Peace would score on in the eighth and then two more in the ninth to complete the rally. In the ninth, William Peace's Tyler Tilson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that forced in the tying run before Nick Cole hit a walk-off RBI single.

Amorelli, Murray and Walch had two hits apiece for Covenant, while Bloye went 1-for-1 with three walks and three RBIs. Harvey scored two runs and went 1-for-2 with three walks at the plate. Covenant out-hit William Peace 10-9.

Covenant starter Zach Kyzer went 6.1 innings allowing four earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts. Ross Skipper (1-1) got the loss out of the bullpen. William Peace reliever Coleman Greene (1-0) went the final 1.1 innings to collect the win.

UP NEXT

Covenant hosts regional foe Berry on Tuesday on Lookout Mountain. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

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