MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Covenant baseball team opened up conference play with a 7-4 loss on the road to Huntingdon on Saturday evening.

The Scots fall to 7-8 overall (0-1 USAS), while the Hawks improve to 9-7 (1-0 USAS).

Covenant struck early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Singles from Kenny Mills and Zeke Gilbert plus a wild pitch helped bring in Covenant's first two scores of the contest.

Huntingdon then quickly answered with two singles and two runs of their own in the bottom of the second (2-2). The scores snapped Covenant pitcher Bryce Bollinger's streak of 17.1 scoreless innings, which ties the program record (previously done by Garrett Krison in 2014).

The tie on the board would not last for long, though, as the hits continued for Covenant in the third. The Scots tallied four hits, including an RBI-double from Tyler Cox, to take a two-run lead (4-2).

Unfortunately, though, that is where the scoring would end for the visiting Scots.

After the Hawks used two hits to tie it up in the bottom of the third (4-4), they would score twice more in the fifth and once in the eighth to garner the 7-4 victory.

Covenant finished with 11 hits. Gilbert and Cox were both 2-for-5, while Joseph Ridenour was 2-of-4. Josh Harvey and Cox both had an RBI. Bollinger (4-1) earned his first loss of the season, going 4.1 innings with four earned runs, three walks, and two strikeouts.

Cullen Stafford led Huntingdon, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Seth Killam started on the mound for the Hawks, striking out three in four innings pitched. Hall Billings (1-1) earned the win after recording zero earned runs, one walk, and five strikeouts in five innings of relief. 

UP NEXT

Covenant will complete the conference series at Huntingdon with a doubleheader on Monday, March 21. 

CONNECT WITH THE SCOTS

Be sure to follow the Scots all season long on athletics.covenant.edu and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news and other information.