ATLANTA, Ga. -- Zeke Gilbert hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the seventh inning and the Covenant baseball team hung on in the ninth for a 7-5 win over Oglethorpe in the series opener on Friday at Hermance Stadium.

Gilbert picked the right time for his first career home run as his solo blast to left field in the seventh inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave Covenant (2-2) a 4-3 lead.

The Scots tacked on three runs in the eighth to stretch the margin to 7-3. Harrison Adelgren scored on a wild pitch and Tyler Cox followed with an RBI double that plated Andrew Brock to make it 6-3. An Oglethorpe error enabled the Scots to add a run.

Covenant needed all of those runs as Oglethorpe (1-4) rallied in the ninth. The Stormy Petrels got within 7-5 after a Jonathan Cruz RBI single and had the bases loaded with two outs. Austin Clark came on and got the final out as he struck out Parker Hildebrecht to secure the win.

Josh Harvey went 2-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Scots' six-hit attack. Harvey had a two-run single in the third inning that gave Covenant a 2-1 lead at the time and the Scots led 3-1 after an Adelgren sacrifice fly later in the third.

Joseph Ridenour, Gilbert, Cox, and Trevor Grapenthin all had a hit apiece. 

Aaron Northcutt was strong in his start as he went five innings and allowed one unearned run on five hits with three strikeouts. Conor Austin (1-0) got the win after going 3.2 innings out of the bullpen before Clark notched the save.

Sam Mills and Wyatt Lee had three hits each for Oglethorpe. Will Marconi (0-1) got the loss out of the bullpen for the Petrels after starter Colby James went 5.2 innings and struck out eight.

UP NEXT

Covenant and Oglethorpe will finish the series with a doubleheader on Saturday on Lookout Mountain. Game one is set for 12 p.m.

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