MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Playing on the road to wrap up the regular season, the Covenant softball team fell twice to Huntingdon on Saturday afternoon at the Samford Complex. Huntingdon rallied for an 8-5 win in the opener before completing the sweep with a 5-3 win in the finale.
The games were originally scheduled for Lookout Mountain, but rain in the forecast forced the contests to be played in Montgomery. Covenant was the home team in both games.
Covenant (11-22, 6-10 USA South) will enter the USA South Tournament as the No. 5 seed in the West Division and travel to face No. 2 seed Piedmont in a best-of-3 first round series beginning on Friday, April 19 in Demorest, Ga.
GAME ONE: Huntingdon 8, Covenant 5
Huntingdon scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning and then held off a Covenant rally in the bottom of the inning to take game one, 8-5, on Saturday.
Covenant took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning, but the Hawks sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven times to grab an 8-2 lead. Caitlyn Caffee's two-run, bunt single that went through the right side of the infield broke a 2-2 tie and gave Huntingdon the lead for good.
Down 8-2, Covenant made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Jada Allmon and Cassee Wood led off the inning with hits. Aileen Hill reached on a throwing error that allowed both Allmon and Wood to score to make it 8-4. One batter later, Faith Manning reached on an error that plated Hill.
However, Huntingdon reliever Madison Hunt recorded the final out to end the Scots' rally.
Covenant scored a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Wood had an RBI double in the fifth that scored Madalyn Ames, while Cope Whitaker's sacrifice fly in the sixth gave the Scots a 2-1 edge.
Wood finished 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run and an RBI to lead Covenant. Carsyn Stone (4-12) got the loss in the circle, but was strong through six innings as she allowed one run. Stone went 6.1 innings and surrendered six earned runs.
Hunt (15-3) got the win in relief for Huntingdon after going the final 2.2 innings. Lauren Melton allowed one unearned run on three hits in 4.1 innings in her start. Annie Nolan went 3-for-4 to lead Huntingdon's 12-hit attack.
GAME TWO: Huntingdon 5, Covenant 3
Huntingdon scored three runs in the second to take the lead for good and the Hawks completed the sweep with a 5-3 victory in the finale.
Covenant trailed 1-0 after the top of the first, but quickly tied it up in the bottom of the inning as Whitaker singled home Erika Mast.
Huntingdon put a three-spot on the board in the top of the second. Alyssa Singleterry's two-run single capped the inning and gave the Hawks a 4-1 lead.
Covenant starter Sarah Huskey allowed those four runs, but settled down over the middle innings. Huskey (3-8) picked up the loss, but went seven innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits, with a pair of 1-2-3 innings.
The Scots got within 4-3 with a run in the fifth and sixth innings. Wood tripled in the fifth and scored Madyson Gibbins' infield single. In the sixth, Jada Allmon smacked a double into the gap in left-center field that brought home Manning.
Covenant out-hit Huntingdon, 10-8, as Manning and Allmon had two hits apiece.
Hunt (16-3) also collected the win in game two after going 5.1 innings before Melton came on to record the save.
UP NEXT
Covenant will travel to Piedmont on Friday, April 19 for the first two games of the USA South Tournament best-of-3 first round series. Game times will be announced soon.
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