Covenant, Centre Split Softball Doubleheader

The Covenant softball team wrapped up the home portion of its regular-season schedule with a doubleheader split against non-conference foe Centre on Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Scots dropped game one 7-1, but responded with a 6-4 win in the finale.

Covenant goes to 16-10 overall, while Centre is now 14-10.

It was just the second doubleheader between the two programs and Covenant leads the all-time series 3-1.

GAME ONE: Centre 7, Covenant 1

Centre scored three runs in the first and four in the sixth to come away with a 7-1 victory over Covenant in Wednesday's first game.

Elysse Petrie (5-2) tossed a complete-game in the circle for the visiting Colonels and allowed just one run on seven hits with four strikeouts. The Centre offense backed up Petrie with a three-run first as Torey Hawkins and Sarah Aubuchon had RBI hits to give Centre a 3-0 lead.

Centre then added to its lead in the sixth with four runs, aided by two Covenant errors, to take a 7-0 lead. Covenant got on the board in the seventh on Jordan Brett's RBI double that scored Joni Johnson, but the Lady Scots would not get closer.

Carsyn Stone (5-5) went 5.2 innings in her start allowing three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Stone also had two hits in three at-bats at the plate. Brett went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead Covenant offensively.

GAME TWO: Covenant 6, Centre 4

In game two, Covenant took an early lead and then held on late for a 6-4 win to earn a split with the Colonels.

Erika Mast and Shade Epes had run-scoring singles in the first inning as Covenant built a 3-0 lead. After Centre got a run back in the top of the second, the Lady Scots answered with a run in their half of the inning when Brett singled home Madalyn Ames to make it 4-1.

Centre cut the lead to 4-3 with single runs in the third and fifth innings, but Covenant got some insurance runs in the fifth. Johnson's pinch-hit, two-run double to center field brought in Mast and Kat Andrews to give the Lady Scots a 6-3 edge.

Johnson then sealed the win in the circle as she worked around a seventh-inning jam to hold on to the 6-4 victory. Johnson recorded her third save of the year in the process.

Madyson Gibbins and Ames had two hits apiece for Covenant. The Lady Scots out-hit Centre 9-8 overall. Tyler Epes (5-1) was effective again in the circle as she went five innings and scattered five hits while allowing three runs and striking out four.

Erika Brewer (4-6) got the loss for Centre as she went six innings and gave up five earned runs on nine hits. Jessika Young went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for the Colonels.

Covenant takes on USA South foe Mary Baldwin for a doubleheader on Friday in Staunton, Va. Game one is set for 2 p.m.