It was a wild day in the bluegrass state for the Scots baseball team as they began their final CCS series of the regular season at Berea. The two teams combined for 47 runs as they split a doubleheader that did not end until just before 11 p.m. local time.
Game 1 Final (10 innings): Covenant 12, Berea 10 The Scots took the lead in the first inning as a RBI double by Chris Savage and a RBI single from Sam Cecil made it 2-0. Berea answered immediately as a pair of RBI singles in its first plate appearances tied the game at two.
Berea kept the offense going in the second inning as back-to-back triples to lead off the inning led to two more runs. In the third inning, the Mountaineers made it 6-2 thanks to a RBI double followed by a RBI groundout to shortstop.
A three-run fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Marcelo Manrique made it 9-2, Berea.
Covenant started its comeback in the sixth inning as back-to-back RBI doubles from Ben Johnson and Kolby Kimberly put the score at 9-4. In the seventh inning, RBI doubles from Kenny Mills, Savage, and Cecil plus a RBI single by Harrison Adelgren put the Scots back within one run.
The Mountaineers added a run on a RBI single in the bottom of the frame to make it 10-8.
Adelgren drove in another run in the eighth inning with a RBI single to make it a one-run game again. Cody Gibson, as a pinch hitter, drove in the game-tying run with a RBI double. On this play the Scots tried to score another run, but Kimberly was thrown out at home plate.
In the 10th inning, the Scots added two runs via a RBI single from Johnson and Kimberly.
Berea put one runner on base in the bottom of the frame, but a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice ended the game.
The Scots outhit the Mountaineers 20-12. 20 hits is a season-high for Covenant. Covenant had one error while Berea had none. Adelgren led Covenant with a career-high five hits. Savage and Cecil each had three hits. RHP Aeden Beuning (3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 7 K) picked up the win in relief.
RHP Jonathan Glover (1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K) earned his fifth save on the season. Seven runs is the largest deficit the Scots have rallied from this year.
Game 2 Final: Covenant 8, Berea 17 Berea opened the scoring in the first inning, as a RBI sacrifice fly made it 1-0. A pair of infield errors by Berea mixed in with a 2-RBI double from Zeke Gilbert led to five runs for the Scots in the second inning. Three consecutive RBI singles for the Mountaineers and a run scored later in the third inning on a wild pitch tied the game at five.
Gilbert recorded another RBI in the fourth inning as a ground out to shortstop scored Zach Ferlita. Berea tied the game once again in the fifth inning with a RBI groundout. Mills delivered a RBI double in the sixth inning as the Scots took back the lead once again.
Berea took the lead for good in the bottom of the frame as a 2-RBI double made it 8-7. The wheels fell off defensively for Covenant in the seventh as three walks, three hits, two errors, and one hit batter led to seven runs for Berea. Kimberly led off the eighth inning with a home run to score Covenant's eighth and final run of the evening. Berea added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth with a RBI double to put the score at 17-8.
Covenant moves to 19-3 all-time against Berea. Berea outhit Covenant 14-10. Both teams committed two errors. Mills, Gilbert, Kimberly, and Daniel Bell all had two hits for the Scots. RHP Scotty Smith (2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP), LHP Judah O'Neal (3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) RHP Ethan Goebert (0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1K), and LHP Austin Clark (2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) all pitched for Covenant.
Covenant ends its regular season today at 2 p.m. at Berea.