BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (10-13, 4-5 USAS) split a USA South Conference home doubleheader against Covenant College (18-12, 4-6 USAS) on a warm, sunny Tuesday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
The two sides battled down-to-the-wire in a game one contest scheduled for seven innings, with Covenant taking the early lead, 2-0 before BC eventually tied the contest at 2-2. The Scots were able to scratch across a run in the top of the seventh and nail down the conference victory, 3-2.
Brevard quickly bounced back in game number two, avenging their earlier defeat by scoring 10 runs - its second-highest offensive output of 2021 - on 12 hits to claim the 10-4 win.
GAME ONE - COVENANT 3, BREVARD 2
Junior left-handed pitcher Matthew Scavotto (2-4) turned in a career outing in his start on the mound for the Tornados, striking out a career-high eight batters in 6.1 innings pitcher. Covenant starter Nick Pettit (4-3) went the distance in the pitcher's duel, striking out five while allowing two runs.
Four Tornados collected hits in the low-scoring affair, while freshman infielder Noah Harris got on base a team-high three times with a trio of walks to go alongside BC's lone RBI.
Covenant kicked off the first inning with a single followed by a two-out stolen base to put a runner in scoring position. Brooks DuBose then split the gap in right-center field to give the visitors the early edge, 1-0.
Jason Jucker and Zach Allison each led off the bottom of the first with singles to give the Tornados two on and nobody out. Pettit proceeded to strike out BC's next three batters, ending the scoring chance.
Scavotto set the Scots down in order in the second inning before the visitors put together a two-out rally in the top of the third, where a double was brought around to score on an Alex Gonzalez RBI-single, doubling their lead.
Following another 1-2-3 inning for Scavotto that included a pair of K's, BC was able to put together a scoring rally. The Tornados were able to load the bases with one out before Harris drew a five-pitch walk that brought across Holden Lanier, making the score 2-1. Covenant forced a double play to prevent further damage by the Tornado offense.
Allison drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth that was immediately followed by a JJ Wilkes' single, placing runners on the corners. Allison came across on a wild pitch to tie the ballgame up, 2-2, with two innings left to play.
Scavotto impressively struck out the side in order in the top of the sixth inning as the contest went to the seventh inning deadlocked at 2-2. A walk, wild pitch, and groundout gave Covenant the go-ahead runner on third base with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Harrison Adelgren shot a triple down the right-field line that gave the Scots the lead back, 3-2.
A double play turned on a flyout sent BC back up to bat down one run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pettit forced a 1-2-3 inning, giving Covenant the game-one triumph, 3-2.
GAME TWO - BREVARD 10, COVENANT 4
Brevard used an offensive outburst to flip the script in the second contest of the afternoon, scoring 10 runs on 12 hits and four Covenant errors to earn a USA South victory, 10-4.
Four Tornados enjoyed multi-hit performances - Allison, Logan Clark, Peter Fumero, and Jucker - with Allison and Fumero logging doubles in addition to Harris' RBI-double. Clark and Wilkes each drove in a pair of RBI's, while the Tornados wreaked havoc on the base paths, stealing seven bases in game two.
Senior right-handed pitcher Ben Melton (2-0) got the start on the mound for Brevard, going five innings allowing just one earned run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts. Bryce Bowers and Huntley Hacker combined for four scoreless innings of relief for the Tornados, as Bowers hurled three innings while Hacker sealed the deal in the ninth inning.
BC started off the bottom of the first inning in similar fashion to game one, as Allison and Jucker both got on base with nobody out. Wilkes drove a two-RBI single up the middle as BC took the early lead, 2-0, before Wilkes came around to score two batters later. Fumero capped off the scoring in the first inning, hitting the ball in play and reaching on a fielding error while still earning the RBI after plating Clark from third base. Brevard took a 4-0 advantage into the second inning.
Covenant used a hit and two Tornado errors to kickstart a three-run second inning, as the Scots cut the advantage to one run, 4-3. Brevard was able to immediately respond, as Jucker was plated on a throwing error before Clark brought home Allison on an RBI groundout.
Covenant got one of those runs back in the top of the third before BC surged for a three-spot in the bottom of the third, giving the Tornados a 9-4 cushion through three frames.
Melton worked around baserunners in the fourth and fifth innings as he left the contest as the pitcher of record, giving way to Bowers. The junior from Madisonville, Tennessee scattered four baserunners through three innings with two strikeouts. Clark added an extra insurance run to BC's lead with an RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth.
Hacker was called upon for the second time in as many games, halting a potential Covenant rally with a groundout as the Tornados wrapped up the game two victory, 10-4.
Brevard will conclude its regular season with a pivotal three-game, three-day series vs. Huntingdon on Friday-Sunday, April 30-May 2 at Gil Coan Field. Saturday's contest marks Senior Day for the BC baseball program.
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-BC-