The Covenant softball team earned its first two wins of the year, one of which came in dramatic fashion, on Friday afternoon in Maryville. The Lady Scots knocked off Berea 9-0 in five innings in the day's opener before taking a 3-2 win in nine innings over Maryville in the day's finale.
Covenant moves to 2-6 on the year.
GAME ONE: Covenant 9, Berea 0
Covenant had its most prolific game offensively of the year as the Lady Scots produced nine runs on 12 hits to earn the run-rule victory, 9-0, over Berea.
Faith Manning went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the way, while Shade Epes was 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Carlin Labuzan went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Shelby Ralston collected a pair of doubles and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Erika Mast also had two hits on the day and added two runs and an RBI.
Covenant scored three times in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Back-to-back singles from Manning and Labuzan plated runs and Shannon Schmitt followed with an RBI fielder's choice. In the third, Covenant was back at it with two more runs as Epes had an RBI single and Labuzan worked a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-0.
The Lady Scots scored four more times in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Ralston doubled home Kirsten Aanensen and Mast followed with an RBI single. Manning capped the scoring with her two-run single to center field.
Carsyn Stone (1-3) got the win for Covenant as she went four innings and gave up just three hits while striking out five. Tyler Epes pitched a scoreless fifth inning.
Jacqui Howard (0-1) got the loss for Berea in the circle. The Mountaineers were held to three hits offensively.
GAME TWO: Covenant 3, Maryville 2
Sarah Huskey tossed nine outstanding innings and Madalyn Ames scampered home on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth as Covenant bested Maryville 3-2 in Friday's finale.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Covenant scored twice as Manning drove in Shade Epes and Jada Allmon with her single to center field to give the Lady Scots a 2-1 lead. Maryville answered with a run in the fourth to tie the score at 2-2 and that remained into extra innings.
In the ninth inning, Ames led off with an infield single and Labuzan doubled with one away to put runners at second and third. Two batters later, Maryville's Katlyn Smith threw a wild pitch that enabled Ames to come home with the go-ahead run.
Huskey then closed the game out herself in the bottom of the ninth. A two-out single was all Maryville could muster as Huskey got Alexus Murray to ground out to end the game.
Huskey (1-0) threw a career-high nine innings and allowed just one earned run on nine hits. Schmitt was 2-for-4 to lead the offense, while seven other Lady Scots registered a hit apiece.
Casey Joliff (0-1) got the loss for Maryville after going 8.1 innings allowing one earned run. Ashton Hayden and Morgan Brewer had two hits each for Maryville.
Covenant is slated to play both Berea (10 a.m.) and Maryville (2 p.m.) on Saturday in Maryville, Tenn.