The Covenant baseball team waited an extra week to open its season, but wasted no time in jumping on season-opening opponent Emory & Henry.
Jackson Heuer tossed six scoreless innings and Brooks DuBose and Ken Alexander had four RBIs each to lead the Scots over the visiting Wasps, 16-2, on Friday afternoon on Lookout Mountain.
The win was the 20th, in 21 meetings, all-time for Covenant (1-0) over Emory & Henry (0-3).
Heuer, making his first career opening day start, was magnificent.
The senior struck out a career-high eight, while allowing just four hits over six innings to notch the win. Heuer (1-0) threw 87 pitches, 62 of those for strikes.
The bats backed Heuer throughout the day. DuBose cleared the bases with a three-run double in the first inning and finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Covenant broke open the game with five runs in the fifth, five in the sixth, and two more in the seventh for the final tallies.
Leading 4-0 in the fifth, DuBose singled home Alex Gonzalez, who doubled earlier in the frame, and Josh Harvey scored on a subsequent fielding error by the Emory & Henry left fielder to make it 6-0. Later in the inning, Alexander doubled to left-center field with two outs to drive in Trevor Grapenthin and DuBose for an 8-0 lead.
In the sixth, CJ Edmond rifled a triple off the right field fence that scored Tyler Moore and Alexander capped the inning with another two-run hit, this time a single, to make it 14-0. The Scots tacked on two more runs in the seventh when Hunter Christian doubled down the line in left field that plated DuBose and Gonzalez.
Three Covenant relievers made their collegiate debuts over the final three innings. Joe Joe McDonald tossed a perfect seventh inning and picked up two strikeouts, while Jack Richards and Rush Preston threw the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. As a staff, the Scots struck out 12 and did not walk a batter.
Six pitchers toed the rubber for Emory & Henry. Starter Tony Robson (0-1) got the loss after going three innings and allowing four earned runs on three hits.
Moore went 2-for-3 with a triple and two walks for Covenant, while Gonzalez also had two hits in three at-bats with four runs scored. Covenant banged out seven extra-base hits on the day.
Connor Buchanan went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Wasps, who tallied seven hits.
Covenant and Emory & Henry conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday. Both games will be seven innings. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.