LAGRANGE, Ga. -- The Covenant baseball team nearly erased a five-run deficit, but the Scots could not complete the comeback in the ninth inning in a season-ending 7-6 loss to No. 4 East seed William Peace on Saturday in the USA South Tournament.

Covenant ends the season 22-19 overall.

The Scots trailed 7-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning and chipped away at the margin. In the seventh, Ken Burke and Zeke Gilbert had back-to-back one-out singles to get a three-run rally started. Tyler Cox drew a bases-loaded walk in the inning and Joseph Ridenour followed with a two-run single to get the Scots within 7-5.

Still down by two runs in the ninth, the Scots had one more chance. Josh Harvey and Cox had consecutive singles to leadoff the inning and Ridenour made it 7-6 with a sacrifice fly. With runners at first and second and one out, Covenant could not come through as William Peace closer Peyton Howard got a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat.

William Peace (23-19) moved on to face LaGrange later on Saturday in the bracket championship round. The Pacers needed to beat the host Panthers twice to win the bracket.

Ridenour was 2-for-3 with three RBIs to lead the Covenant offense. Gilbert and Harvey also had two hits apiece as the Scots tallied 11 in the defeat. 

William Peace jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the third. The Pacers scored twice in the second and third innings off Scots starter Zach Tolleson. 

Covenant cut the deficit to 5-2 in the fourth on a Harrison Adelgren RBI ground out, but the Pacers extended the lead to 7-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.

Tolleson (3-3) got the loss for the Scots. Jackson Rau tossed 3.1 innings out of the bullpen allowing two runs on four hits, while Conor Austin threw the final 2.1 innings and did not allow a run.

Pacers starter Aubrey Pollard (4-2) notched the win after going 6.1 innings. Brett Kemp went 3-for-4 and Cameron Butler drove in three runs.

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.