Covenant College Athletics recently issued the following announcement.
The Covenant baseball team hit a season-high four home runs and starting pitcher Bryce Bollinger struck out a career-high eight as the Scots took game one of a three-game series over Brevard, 14-10, on Friday afternoon.
Covenant (10-13, 2-5 USA South) scored 11 runs on 12 hits, including three homers, through the first three innings, as Bollinger retired the first 10 Brevard batters in order.
Bollinger (5-1) only allowed three hits and three earned runs in his career-high seven innings pitched, as he would not allow Brevard a hit or a base runner until the fourth inning.
Meanwhile, the Scots offense struck early and often against Brevard starter Matthew Scavotto. An RBI single from Kenny Mills and a wild pitch allowed Covenant to take a quick 2-0 lead in the first.
In the bottom of the second, Trevor Grapenthin and Zeke Gilbert both doubled, followed by a home run from Mills, adding four runs to the board for Covenant as the Scots took a 6-0 lead.
The homer was Mills' fourth of the year.
The hits kept coming for the Scots, as they would tack on another five runs in the third. During the rally, Covenant produced six hits, including doubles from Chase McBryar and Gilbert. Grapenthin and Ken Burke also both launched homers, scoring a total of four runs and helping the Scots widen the gap to 11-0.
It was Grapenthin's second homer of the season, while Burke hit his third.
The bats then began to come alive for Brevard (14-10, 3-4 USA South) in the top of the fourth when the Tornados recorded their first hits and runs of the day. Frankie Vasquez hit a three-run homer to bring the Tornados within 11-4.
That was all Bollinger would allow, however, as the right-hander threw 112 pitches (66 strikes) in his seven innings of work.
Covenant added two runs in the fifth on a Tyler Cox two-run double. In the eighth, Cox hit a no-doubt solo home run to left field, his third of the year, to cap the scoring for the Scots.
The Scots produced 15 hits, including five doubles and four home runs. Gilbert, Grapenthin, Cox, McKaleb Harlemon, and Andrew Brock all tallied two hits apiece. Cox had three RBIs, while Grapenthin had two. Mills finished 3-of-5 with four RBIs.
Gilbert extended his hitting streak to 14 games, while Mills ran his hit streak to 11.
Vasquez was also 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Scavotto (3-3) received the loss after giving up nine hits and nine earned runs in two innings pitched.
Covenant will finish up the conference series with Brevard tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
Be sure to follow the Scots all season long on athletics.covenant.edu and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news and other information.
Original source can be found here.
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