LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- The Covenant baseball team came back from behind in game two against Huntingdon to earn a split in Saturday afternoon's doubleheader. The Scots fell in game one 11-3 and took game two 6-5.
Covenant connected on 19 total hits across the two contests and improves to 17-9 overall.
GAME 1: Covenant 3, Huntingdon 11
The visiting Hawks tallied 17 hits and nine RBIs in game one to gain the 11-3 victory over the Scots.
The score remained 0-0 until the top of the third inning, when Huntingdon used three hits to bring in two runs. A single from Hall Billings and doubles from Dawson Kuba and Colin Whibbs helped the Hawks take a 2-0 lead.
Covenant would cut the lead in half in their side of the third, when Joseph Ridenour was able to score on a wild pitch (2-1).
The Scots' next scores would not come until the seventh inning, and Huntingdon would capitalize during the drought, bringing in six runs over the fourth and fifth innings.
The Hawks recorded four runs in the fourth, including a home run from Nick Swisher and a three-RBI double from Kuba.
After gaining a 6-1 lead, Huntingdon would score two more runs in the fifth off of three hits. After Swisher and Wes Powell singled, Billings hit a two-RBI double, giving his team a 8-1 lead.
Singles from Lewis Saunders and Brooks DuBose, along with a double from Alex Gonzalez, helped bring in Covenant's final two runs in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead to five (8-3).
But, the Scots would give up four more hits in the top of the ninth, giving Huntingdon three more runs and the 11-3 victory.
Ridenour, Gonzalez, Josh Harvey, and McKaleb Harlemon all went 1-for-3. Gonzalez and DuBose both recorded RBIs.
Nick Pettit (3-3) got the start on the mound for the Scots, pitching 3.1 innings with four earned runs and two strikeouts. Bryce Bollinger pitched 2.2 innings of relief, allowing zero earned runs.
Swisher and Wibbs went 2-for-5 for the Hawks, while Powell and Kuba were 3-for-5. Billings was a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Carden Mellown (2-4) pitched the entire contest, allowing three earned runs and striking out eight.
GAME 2: Covenant 6, Huntingdon 5
Covenant used a three-run eighth inning to overcome a two-run deficit to get the win in game two.
The Scots held a 2-0 lead after playing three, thanks to a homer from DuBose in the first inning and a sacrifice fly from DuBose again in the third.
But, Huntingdon would answer with a four-run fourth inning of their own.
Along with a Swisher double, singles from Powell, Billings, and Kuba helped bring in the four runs, giving the Hawks a 4-2 lead.
Covenant would cut the lead to one in the fifth though, due to a single from Trevor Grapenthin and a sacrifice fly from Gonzalez (4-3). But Huntingdon would extend the lead right back out to two after a walk, a groundout, and a sacrifice fly helped bring in a run in the top of the sixth, making it 5-3.
After a scoreless seventh for both teams, the Scots would rally in the bottom of the eighth to score three runs off of four hits to take back the lead.
The rally started with a single from Ken Burke, followed by a fielder's choice allowing Harrison Adelgren to reach first. And after both runners advanced to second and third due to a passed ball, Zeke Gilbert hit a bases-clearing double to tie the game at five runs apiece.
Then, with Gilbert on second, Saunders singled to center field, bringing in the go-ahead run and giving the Scots a 6-5 lead going into the ninth inning.
From there, Kenny Mills made quick work of the Hawks in the ninth, recording two flyouts and a strikeout for a game-ending three-up, three-down inning.
Burke was 3-for-4, while DuBose went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Grapenthin was 2-for-2, and Gilbert was 1-for-1 with two RBIs.
Zach Tolleson started at pitcher for the Scots and pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out three. Mills (2-0) gets the win, after pitching four innings of relief, only allowing one hit and recording one strikeout.
Swisher was 2-for-4 for Huntingdon, and Billings went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Josh Stevens got the start on the mound, pitching seven innings with three earned runs and two strikeouts. Patrick Sawyer (2-3) earns the loss, pitching 0.2 innings with three earned runs.
Covenant now sits at 3-3 in conference play, while Huntingdon falls to 2-6 (10-15 overall).
UP NEXT
Covenant will face Piedmont for the first game of a three-game conference series at home on Friday, April 23. First pitch is scheduled for 3PM EDT.
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