The Covenant baseball team played at LaFayette High School's turf field on Friday afternoon as it began its important three-game series with Asbury. It took Covenant's bats a little while to get hot, but when they did it was a sight to see. The Scots scored six runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to earn a 14-4 mercy-rule win.
Final (7 innings): Covenant 14, Asbury 4 Quinn Nobles led off the game for Asbury with a solo home run to right field before the Eagles scored another run in the first inning on an RBI bunt single.
Covenant answered immediately in the bottom of the frame as Daniel Bell delivered a 2-RBI single up the middle to tie the game.
An RBI ground-rule double and an RBI groundout for Asbury in the second inning put it up 4-2 as it turned out to be its final runs of the afternoon.
RHP Scotty Smith and Asbury pitcher Ryan Yates started to settle in as neither team scored the next few innings.
Roby McClarnon started the sixth-inning rally for Covenant coming home to score on a throwing error after hitting a triple down the right field line.
The Scots loaded the bases later in the inning before an infield error brought home Sam Cecil to tie the game at four.
Elliott Eastin hit an RBI single to center field to put Covenant back in the lead and a few moments later Covenant was ahead by two runs as Bell came home on a wild pitch.
Hudson Couch capped off the six-run inning for Covenant with a 2-RBI single to right-center field to make it 8-4.
Smith continued to deal on the mound as he allowed just two hits in the final five innings.
Cecil blasted a two-run home run down the right-field line to put the Scots ahead 10-4 in the seventh inning.
Two batters later, Bell hit an RBI triple down the right-field line as Asbury still had no outs in the frame.
Two bases-loaded walks with an RBI single from Nate Jones mixed in between put the mercy-rule in effect.
Covenant moves to 1-1 all-time against Asbury.
Smith (7 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) pitched a complete game to earn his fourth win of the season.
Cecil (3-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR) led the Covenant offense with three hits, including his fourth home run of the season.
McClarnon (2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB), Gilbert (2-for-3, 3 R), Bell (2-for-3, 2 R, 3 RBI), and Jones (2-for-4, 1 RBI) each had two hits.
Covenant outhit Asbury 13-9.
The Eagles had two errors while the Scots had one.
UP NEXT: Covenant and Asbury play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 12 p.m.