Joel Johnson and Trenton Nobles homered, but the Covenant baseball team fell 12-5 to Averett in the finale of a USA South series on Friday afternoon on Lookout Mountain.
Covenant (9-13, 7-5 USA South) still took the series win as the Scots won each of the first two games on Thursday.
Averett (7-17, 3-6 USA South) wins for the first time in six tries on Lookout Mountain.
Johnson and Nobles accounted for all the runs for the Scots with their homers. Nobles hammered a two-run homer to right field in the fourth inning to cut the Covenant deficit to 4-2 at the time. The home run was Nobles' first of the year. In the eighth it was Johnson's turn as the senior's second homer of the series, and third of the year, was a three-run blast to left field that brought home Caleb Bloye and Donny Lewis.
However, Covenant would string together just three other hits in the contest. Lewis, Bloye, and Devin Cerrato had a hit apiece for the Scots.
Averett starter Matt Tuggle (2-3) was tough on the mound as he went seven innings and allowed two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts. Tanner Bradshaw tossed the final two innings and struck out three.
The Cougars used a four-run third inning and a five-run sixth inning to build a lead. A bases-clearing, three-run double from Chase McKinney in the third inning gave Averett a 3-0 lead and highlighted the four-run frame. In the sixth, Averett had five run-scoring hits to break open the game and take a 9-2 lead. Averett added single runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings.
Drew Bradley (1-4) went 3.1 innings in his start and allowed four runs on four hits for Covenant.
McKinney finished 2-for-5 with five RBIs and Zack DeCarlo was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs for the Cougars. Neil Hutchens also had three hits, while Kyle Vidano and Ryan Traylor had two hits apiece.
Covenant returns to the diamond on Friday, March 23 with game one of a USA South series at Maryville. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
The Covenant softball team suffered a pair of USA South losses to visiting Maryville on Friday afternoon on Lookout Mountain. The Lady Scots fell 4-0 in game one before Maryville completed the sweep with a 12-0 victory in game two.
Covenant drops to 12-16 overall and 4-6 in USA South play, while Maryville remains perfect in conference play at 6-0 and moves to 13-6 overall.
Covenant had chances to get on the board in a tightly played first game. The Lady Scots tallied nine hits in the contest, but ended up leaving 11 runners on base. Covenant had a runner in scoring position in five different innings during the first game, but Maryville starter Nicole Blackburn worked out of those jams each time.
Maryville scored a run in the first, then two in the third before pulling ahead 4-0 with a run in the fifth. Taylor Campbell went 3-for-4 with a homer for Maryville, while Morgan Brewer was 2-for-4 and Essence Strambler had two RBIs. Blackburn (4-0) went the distance and scattered nine hits, while striking out two and walking one in her win.
Tyler Epes (1-6) got the loss for Covenant as she went three innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits in her start. Carsyn Stone, Cris Gant, and Joni Johnson combined to throw the final four innings and surrendered just a run on four hits.
Jada Allmon was 3-for-4 in the first game and Erika Mast had two hits in three at-bats.
In the second game, it was a five-run first inning that position Maryville for the doubleheader sweep. The visiting Scots scored in every inning, culminating in a four-run fifth for the final tally.
Maryville starter Katlyn Smith (6-1) went all five innings and allowed three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Gant (0-2) was hit with the loss for Covenant.
Shannon Schmitt, Mast, and Shelby Ralston each had a hit apiece for Covenant. Even with three hits, the Lady Scots put a runner in scoring position three times in game two but left seven runners on base.
Covenant will host Brevard for a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.