LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- CJ Edmond hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning of game two and the Covenant baseball team responded after a game one loss to split a doubleheader with No. 10-ranked LaGrange on Friday. The Scots dropped game one, 13-5, but rebounded with an 8-6 win in the second game to even the series.
The two teams will play the rubber game of the three-game series on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Covenant goes to 3-6 on the year and 1-1 in USA South play. LaGrange, ranked No. 10 in the preseason d3baseball.com Top 25, goes to 7-7 and 1-1 in the conference.
GAME TWO: Covenant 8, LaGrange 6
CJ Edmond hit a two-out, three-run home run to right field in the fifth inning that gave the Scots a 6-5 lead and Covenant would hold on for an 8-6 win to split the doubleheader.
With Covenant trailing 5-3 in the fifth, Covenant put runners at first and third with two away for Edmond. The sophomore launched an Austin Fain offering over the right field fence to give the Scots a one-run lead. The homer was the first of the year for Edmond.
Covenant extended the lead to 8-5 in the seventh when Tyler Moore delivered a two-out, two-run single to left field that plated Joel Johnson and Trenton Nobles. LaGrange got one back in the top of the ninth and had the tying run on base, but reliever Andrew Cline got LaGrange pinch-hitter Austin Jones to pop out to third to end the game.
Edmond finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Moore and Caleb Bloye also had two hits apiece. Nobles, Johnson, Alex Gonzalez, Ken Alexander, and Donny Lewis all had a hit apiece as Covenant strung together 11 hits in the win.
Adam Carver (1-1) got the win in relief for Covenant as he threw 1.1 scoreless innings after coming in for starter Drew Bradley. Cline picked up the save after going the final three innings and allowing one run on four hits.
The Scots got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first. Edmond drove in Nobles with a single and Bloye also scored following a throwing error from LaGrange. Gonzalez made it 3-0 with his RBI double that scored Edmond.
LaGrange scored four runs in the second, highlighted by a Jacob Gassert three-run home run. The visiting Panthers then added another run in the third on a Covenant throwing error.
Fain (2-3) was hit with the loss for LaGrange after going five innings in his start. McKinley Erves had two hits and two RBIs for the Panthers.
GAME ONE: LaGrange 13, Covenant 5
In Saturday's first game, LaGrange built a 10-1 lead and cruised to a 13-5 victory over Covenant.
LaGrange scored a run in the first then added two in the third on a Jack Layrisson two-run homer to right field to make it 3-0. Covenant got a run back in the bottom of the third on a Johnson RBI double, but LaGrange scored three runs in the fourth and four in the sixth to take a commanding 10-1 lead.
Covenant chipped away at the deficit and got within 10-5 heading to the ninth. Bloye and Johnson each had RBI hits in a three-run seventh inning and Nobles added a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but LaGrange answered with three runs in the ninth to pull away for the win.
Matt Reitz (1-1) got the loss for Covenant as he went 5.1 innings. Jackson Heuer helped save arms out of the bullpen as he went 2.2 innings in relief.
Johnson finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Edmond and Moore were each 2-for-5 for Covenant.
Richie Post (1-0) tossed six innings and gave up one run to earn the win for LaGrange. Layrisson was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs.
UP NEXT
Covenant and LaGrange wrap up their series on Saturday at 11 a.m.
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