The Covenant softball team and Asbury met for the first time as CCS opponents on Tuesday afternoon in an important doubleheader for each team. Both games were close, but the Eagles found the timely hits to earn the sweep.
Game 1 Final: Covenant 3, Asbury 5 Ashlyn Gaines put Covenant in front in the first inning with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field that scored Isabella Duran.
It didn't take long for Asbury to tie the game up as a leadoff triple later came into score on an RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the frame.
Charley Clark and Asbury pitcher Kaylee Strunk settled in as the score remained tied at one until the bottom of the fifth inning.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Asbury began to catch fire offensively as an RBI triple to center field put it ahead.
Later on in the fifth inning, an RBI single and an RBI triple made it 4-1.
The Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth inning, using an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to do so.
Gracie Lacle launched a two-run home run in the seventh inning, the first of her career, to put the Scots back within two runs.
Covenant brought the tying run to the plate twice, but a fly out and a pop out ended the game.
Clark (5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 1 HBP) and Madison Bowden (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER) pitched for the Scots. Duran (2-for-4, 2 R), Lacle (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR), and Kathleen Carpenter (2-for-3) each had two hits to lead the Covenant offense.
Covenant outhit Asbury 8-7.
The Eagles had two errors while the Scots had none.
Game 2 Final (9 innings): Covenant 7, Asbury 8 As it did in game one, Covenant took the lead in the first inning as Olivia Stefl delivered an RBI single that scored Helena Nagy.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, Asbury hit a 3-RBI triple to move ahead.
Two batters later, an RBI groundout made it 4-1.
Covenant inched closer to Asbury in the third inning as Gaines brought in Lacle with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field.
Asbury answered Covenant's run with one itself on an RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the frame.
In the sixth inning, an RBI single to left field by Madison Taylor followed by a 2-RBI triple to right-center field from Isabella Durantied the game at five.
Neither team could find a run in the seventh inning, sending the game to extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth inning, a 2-RBI double by Haley Russell put Covenant back in the lead for the first time since the first inning.
A couple of errors by the Scots helped the Eagles load the bases with no outs before Moira Tinsley cleared the bases with a game-winning hit to center field.
Covenant moves to 3-4 all-time against Asbury. Lauren Edgar (8 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) pitched a complete game for Covenant in the circle. Stefl (3-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI) led the offensive charge with three hits.
Covenant outhit Asbury 12-11.
Covenant committed three errors while Asbury had one.
This was Covenant's second extra innings game of the year, the other being a 6-5 win over Keystone in North Myrtle Beach.
Covenant ends the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader at Agnes Scott.