MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Covenant softball team opened up the 2021 season with a pair of losses at Rhodes on Friday afternoon. The Scots were downed 2-1 in the opener before falling 10-0 in the finale.
It was the season-opening doubleheader for both teams and opened the Jenny Rohn era of Covenant softball.
In the first game, Covenant (0-2) rallied in the seventh inning to tie the game at 1-1 but Rhodes plated the winning run in the home half of the inning to collect the 2-1 win.
Down 1-0 in the seventh, Vanessa Davis and Cope Whitaker strung together back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out. After a groundout that moved both runners up, Jordan Holman produced an RBI infield single that brought home Davis to tie the game.
In the bottom of the seventh, a pair of Covenant errors put a runner on second with no outs and Abby Pons delivered the winning run with an infield single.
Lauren Kierpa (0-1) was strong in the circle as she went 6.1 innings allowing two runs on eight hits. Kierpa struck out five and walked two while tossing 96 pitches. Madison Stringfield (1-0) got the win in relief for Rhodes after Madison Keller threw 6.1 innings and struck out eight.
Holman finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Emma Giller, Davis, and Whitaker all had a hit apiece.
In the finale, Rhodes scored three runs in the first and tacked on to its lead over the next three innings to win 10-0 in five innings.
Faith Manning, Kierpa, and Baylie Sims each had one hit for Covenant in the loss. Sims also tossed four innings in relief in the circle.
Rhodes had 12 hits in the contest, led by Katelyn Siekerka's 2-for-4 and five-RBI game. Lauren King had three hits in four at-bats, while Madison Granberry and Lauren Little had two hits apiece.
King (1-0) got the win as she went four innings.
UP NEXT
Covenant and Rhodes will finish the weekend slate with a doubleheader on Saturday in Memphis. Game one is set 12 p.m. CST (1 p.m. EST) with game two to follow.
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