LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Alex Gonzalez hit a walk-off, solo home run in the bottom of the ninth in Saturday's opener to lift the Covenant baseball team to a 5-4 win over LaGrange. The Scots would fall in the series finale, 14-4, in Saturday's second game.
Covenant goes to 6-5 on the year, while LaGrange is now 5-2.
Gonzalez became the second Scot this season to hit a walk-off home run, joining Brooks DuBose who achieved the feat on Feb. 12 vs. Erskine. It was the seventh walk-off home run in the modern era of the program's history.
GAME ONE: Covenant 5, LaGrange 4
Gonzalez's walk-off capped a comeback win for the Scots in Saturday's first game, 5-4.
Covenant trailed 2-0 after the first inning but scored three times in the third to grab a 3-2 lead. Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch and Tyler Moore followed with a two-run single that plated Josh Harvey and Lewis Saunders to put the Scots ahead for the first time.
LaGrange answered back with single runs in the fourth and seventh innings to take a 4-3 lead.
In the eighth, Moore led off with a double, and DuBose followed with a single. On DuBose's hit, the LaGrange left fielder mishandled the ball and that allowed Moore to score the tying run.
The Scots needed just one batter in the ninth inning to win the game. Gonzalez took Jeff Norman's pitch to center field and just over the fence and glove of LaGrange center fielder McKinley Erves, who had everyone in suspense to see if he came up with the ball on his leaping attempt.
The homer was Gonzalez's third of the year.
Zach Tolleson (1-0) was excellent out of the bullpen and picked up the win after going five innings. The right-hander allowed just three hits and a run while striking out six. Nick Pettit got the start and went four innings with four strikeouts.
Moore went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Gonzalez was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Dalton Brooks made the start for LaGrange and struck out five in five innings. Norman (0-1) was hit with the loss.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
GAME TWO: LaGrange 14, Covenant 4
LaGrange scored 14 runs over a four-inning stretch to pull away and win the finale, 14-4.
Covenant scored all four of its runs in the third inning to trim the deficit to 6-4. DuBose had a two-run double, while Hunter Christian and Harrison Adelgren had RBI singles in the frame.
But LaGrange was too much in this one. Erves and Joe Ruth hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning and a six-run fifth sealed the win for the visiting Panthers.
Saunders was 2-for-2 for the Scots and Christian also had two hits.
Erves, Ruth, and Trey Pearce all had three RBIs each for LaGrange. Ethan Fry (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Panthers. Noah Sweatman (1-1) took the loss for Covenant.
UP NEXT
Covenant will host Greenville for a three-game series next weekend. Game one is set for Friday at 3 p.m.
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