The Covenant baseball team scored 15 runs on 23 hits in two games on Saturday as the Scots swept a doubleheader from Milligan. Covenant took game one 9-4 before staging a five-run sixth inning in game two to erase a 3-1 deficit and claim a 6-5 victory.

Covenant moves to 6-1 on the season, while Milligan drops to 7-4 overall.

All but one starter earned at least one hit as Covenant banged out nine runs on 14 hits to earn a 9-4 victory.

K.C. Simons, Will Cleland, David Lockwood, Sterling Witt, Perry Rigby, and Chris Rollins each had two hits for Covenant.

Rigby also added two runs batted in.

Covenant scored three runs in the first inning with run-scoring singles from Witt, Rigby, and Rollins to take a 3-0 lead. The Scots added two more runs in the second inning as Lockwood tripled home Cleland, and then scored himself on a Milligan throwing error, to make it 5-0.

Milligan scored a run in its half of the second and then cut the Covenant lead to 5-4 in the third inning. Brett Mercurio singled in a run and two batters later Brandon Malone doubled home a pair of runs for the Buffaloes.

Covenant pitching would shut Milligan down the rest of the game and the Scots added two runs in both the fifth and seventh innings.

Keith Rice (1-0) gets the win for Covenant after going 3.1 innings allowing four runs. Garrett Kriston picks up his first save on the year after he relieved Rice and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Milligan starter Ethan Fleenor is saddled with the loss as he surrendered five earned runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings of work.

In game two, Covenant rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a run in the fifth and five more in the sixth inning as they claimed a 6-5 win to finish off the sweep.

Trailing 3-0 heading into the top of the fifth, Covenant got on the board with a one-out double from Rollins that plated Witt from second base to make it 3-1.

In the sixth inning, the Scots scored five runs on three hits. Cleland and Lockwood earned back-to-back walks with one out then Scott Gillespie singled home Cleland to cut the Milligan lead to 3-2. With the bases loaded, Rigby promptly cleared them with a double to deep right-center field that gave Covenant a 5-3 lead. After a Milligan pitching change, Rigby would steal third and score on a Rollins sacrifice fly to cap the inning and give Covenant a 6-3 edge.

Milligan would attempt a rally in its final at-bat as the Buffaloes scratched across two runs. Milligan loaded the bases with nobody out, but two groundouts and a fly ball ended the threat before the Buffaloes could tie the score.

Covenant starter Micah Mabe (3-0) notches his third win in as many starts this season. Mabe went 5.2 innings giving up three runs on six hits while striking out three. Alec Mitchell threw the final 1.1 innings to pick up his first save of the season.

Brett Whittington is credited with the loss for Milligan after he allowed five earned runs in 5.1 innings.

Witt finished game two 3-for-3 with two runs scored for Covenant. Sam Tarlton had a pair of hits and runs scored for Milligan.

 

Covenant is back in action on Tuesday when they host Sewanee in a single nine-inning game. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on Lookout Mountain.