The Covenant softball team split a double-header at Brevard Wednesday afternoon. The Scots fell in game one 9-3 and took game two 2-1.
The split makes Covenant 5-3 in USA South play, while Brevard sits at 3-3.
GAME 1: Covenant 3, Brevard 9
The Tornados used 15 hits, including a grand slam, to bring in nine runs scored to top Covenant in game one, 9-3.
While the offense for Brevard was white hot, the bats remained cold for the Scots, as they only recorded five hits.
The Tornados jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first, tallying five hits.
Four players singled, while the pitcher, Micayla McCoy, recorded a double.
After a scoreless second, Aileen Hill would cut the lead to one with her RBI single in the top of the third (2-1). But, thanks to a triple from Ali Grace Hartman and a single from McCoy, the Tornados would answer with two more runs in their half of the third, giving them the 4-1 lead.
After a quick three-up, three-down fourth inning for the Scots, Brevard would record a five-run rally off of five hits in the bottom of the inning, extending the lead to eight (9-1).
Four of the runs came off of a grand slam from Emily White, while the fifth run scored off a Hartman double and a McCoy triple.
Covenant avoided the run rule in the top of the fifth, scoring their second run of the game thanks to a single from Taylor Murdock and a Brevard error. And after holding the Tornados scoreless in the sixth, the Scots had one more chance to comeback in the top of the seventh.
With two outs, Emma Giller was put on base after being hit by a pitch. Jordan Holman then doubled, putting runners in scoring position for the Scots. Giller was able to score on a passed ball, making it 9-3. But the deficit was too much to overcome, as the final out was gathered, sealing the victory for Brevard.
Hill went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Holman was 2-for-4 with a double. Murdock was 1-for-3.
Lauren Kierpa (13-8) got the start in the circle for the Scots and pitched the entire contest. Kierpa recorded six earned runs, while striking out six.
For Brevard, White went 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Hartman was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while McCoy was a home run short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. McCoy (2-3) pitched seven innings, with one earned run and four strikeouts.
GAME 2: Covenant 2, Brevard 1
The bats cooled down in game two for Brevard, as Covenant went on to gain the 2-1 victory.
Both teams recorded four hits for the contest.
The Tornados struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. A single from McCoy and two Covenant errors helped bring in Brevard's first score of the game.
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth, when the Scots would score twice, taking a 2-1 lead. Vanessa Davis and Murdock both doubled during the inning, helping bring in the two runs for Covenant.
After both teams failed to score, the Tornados were left with one more chance in the bottom of the seventh to take the game. Thanks to a Covenant error and a passed ball, Brevard had a runner on third with two outs, threatening to tie the game. But, Kierpa was able to strikeout the final batter, sealing the 2-1 victory for the Scots.
Davis, Murdock, and Faith Manning went 1-for-3. Giller was a perfect 1-for-1. Kierpa (14-8) pitched another complete game, allowing zero earned runs and striking out one.
Hartman and McCoy were both 1-for-3 in game two. Hartman (0-3) started in the circle for the Tornados and pitched seven innings with zero earned runs and zero strikeouts.
The Scots improve to 16-14 overall, while Brevard falls to 4-8.
UP NEXT
Covenant will return home to host Piedmont in a conference series double-header on Saturday, April 17. First pitch is scheduled for 1pm EDT.