MARCH 4– The Covenant Scots split a doubleheader against the Emory Eagles, in an NCAA Division III baseball game on Saturday, March 4, 2023.  

In the first game of the twin bill, Scots junior pitcher Bryce Bollinger (Portland, Tenn.) worked his way out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the first without allowing a run, setting the tone for the rest of the game. 

The next couple of innings were relatively uneventful offensively – with only one Scot and one Eagle reaching base – in what turned out to be the beginning of a pitcher's duel between Covenant's Bollinger and Emory's Joey Bock.

The Scots threatened in the bottom of the fourth with singles by junior shortstop Zeke Gilbert (Douglasville, Ga.) and sophomore first baseman Chris Savage (Burleson, Texas), but failed to score. Bollinger retired the Eagles, 3-up 3-down, on seven pitches in the top of the fifth, and the pitcher's duel continued in the sixth frame as both pitchers retired the side, 3-up 3-down, each with two strikeouts in the inning.



After the seventh inning stretch, Scots senior catcher Harrison Adelgren (Spring Hill, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch and sophomore DH Scotty Smith (Cartersville, Ga.) reached on an error. It was junior right fielder Chase McBryar (Chattanooga, Tenn.) who then singled down the right field line, knocking in Adelgren. 

The score was knotted at 1-1 and the momentum began to shift as senior second baseman Andrew Brock (Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.) singled to right, driving in junior Wes Dusek (Wheaton, Ill.) who was pinch running for Smith, giving the Scots a 2-1 lead– a lead they never relinquished. 

Covenant added two more runs on a Kenny Mills (Stockbridge, Ga.) double which knocked in McBryar and Brock, and the score was 4-1 Scots heading into the eighth inning. 

In the top of the eighth, after the Eagles punched across another run, tightening the score to 4-2 with the bases loaded and one out, Covenant brought in freshman pitcher Aeden Buening (Brunswick, Ga.) for his varsity collegiate debut – replacing junior pitcher Austin Clark (Dallas, Ga.) – and the freshman hurler did not disappoint. 

Buening shut down the Eagles, striking out Katz on a breaking ball for his first varsity collegiate punch out and getting Masonis on a popup to second.

Buening struck out McLoughlin swinging on a slider for the final out in the ninth, notching his first collegiate save and preserving the third win of the season for Bollinger, as the Scots defeated the Eagles 4-2.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Eagles scored five in the top of the first, including a grand slam by Tyler McLoughlin, and never looked back. The Scots tried to get things going in the bottom of the frame, with singles by Kenny Mills and Zeke Gilbert, but failed to score.

Emory added two more runs in the third on a homer by Jack Halloran, putting the Eagles up 7-0. 

After the Scots brought in junior pitcher Judah O'Neal (Duncanville, Texas) to replace junior Zach Tolleson (Greensboro, Ga.) in the top of the fourth, three more Eagles scored, including Halloran on his second homer of the game. 

With Emory up 10-0 in the top of the fifth, the Scots brought in senior Sean Hogg (Watkinsville, Ga.) to replace O'Neal. Hogg had no trouble retiring the Eagles, 3-up 3-down, with his first two strikeouts of the season, but it was not enough for the Scots. After Covenant failed to score in the bottom of the fifth, the game was called. 
 
UP NEXT 
The Scots are back in action against Emory in Atlanta on Monday, March 6 at 2:00 PM. Covenant then travels to Birmingham Southern for a single game on Tuesday, March 7 at 2:00 PM.

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.