LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- Elizabeth Yother's first career shutout preserved a key conference split for Covenant softball, winning 1-0 in game two after falling 8-1 in game one on Friday at the Covenant Softball Field.

GAME TWO: Covenant 1, Asbury 0

Elizabeth Yother's three-hit shutout and Kallie Branum's fourth-inning RBI-double propelled the Scots to a 1-0 win over Asbury in game two.

Yother, the freshman from Vestavia Hills, Ala., earned every bit of her shutout effort, wiggling out of multiple jams and getting key outs when needed. She struck out five and allowed just three hits and four walks. Julie Mavity had two hits and the winning run scored.

In an enjoyable pitcher's duel, both Yother and Asbury's Josie Potter fired three clean innings, but, in the fourth, Mavity's leadoff infield single put a runner on, and then Branum clutched up with a double socked to left, allowing Mavity to slide in just ahead of the tag.

From that point on, it was Yother's time to shine, stranding a runner at second in the fifth, a runner at first in the sixth, and got a big lift from Cailey Barnett in left in the seventh, as the senior threw out the tying run at home to end the affair.

Ellyanna Rogers, Moira Tinsley, and Tori Giurgevich had hits for Asbury, while Potter (7-3) threw all six frames, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out three.

GAME ONE: Asbury 8, Covenant 1

The Eagles' offense broke through in the late stages to pull away and hand the Scots an 8-1 defeat in game one.

Charley Clark (3-11) threw a career-high 159 pitches in her workmanlike effort, while also striking out seven. Lexi Tincknell recorded a pair of hits and an RBI for the offense.

Neither team scored until the fourth, when Asbury broke through with a run in that frame and then three more in the sixth, helped by a pair of Covenant errors.

Tincknell got the Scots on the scoreboard with her RBI single down the right field line, bringing in Cailey Barnett, but could not overcome another four-run rally by the Eagles in the seventh.

Samantha Bottom and Elyanna Rogers had two hits each for Asbury, and Danielle Spiegel (2-1) allowed one unearned run in her seven innings, striking our four.

UP NEXT

The Scots will stay home next weekend, beginning with a twin billing with Johnson and Wales on Friday at 1 p.m.

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.