LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – Despite surrendering 13 runs through the first five innings of action, the Brevard College baseball team (14-10, 3-4 USA South) put together a spirited comeback attempt that came up just short, as Covenant College (10-13, 2-5 USAS) held off the Tornados, 14-10 on Friday afternoon in the series opener in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.
Frankie Vasquez led all Tornado hitters with a big day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Logan Clark went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while designated hitter Ryan Leiman went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Blake Burchett and Jason Jucker also scored a pair of runs each for the Tornados, who scored a total of 10 runs on 10 hits.
Matthew Scavotto (3-3) went two innings with nine earned runs and a pair of strikeouts. Jacob Thompson went a career-long six innings of relief for the Tornados, as the freshman allowed five earned runs and struck out three batters.
Covenant's offense was able to showcase power, hitting four total home runs accounting for six of its 14 runs. Ken Burke, Tyler Cox, Trevor Grapenthin, and Kenny Mills all hit long shots to help pace the Scot offensive attack. Mills led all Scots with a 3-for-5 day at the place with four RBIs, while Burke and Cox each drove in three runs. The Scots also hit four doubles on the day, as eight of their 15 hits were of the extra-base variety.
Covenant's Bryce Bollinger earned the victory, lasting seven inning with three earned runs allowed and eight strikeouts. Bollinger didn't allow a baserunner until one out in the top of the fourth inning.
The Scots were able to strike first in the bottom of the first inning, drawing a pair of leadoff walks before an RBI single gave the hosts a 1-0 lead. After a fly out moved a Scot runner over to third, and a throwing error put runners on second and third with two outs, Covenant took advantage of a wild pitch to double its advantage.
Covenant added to its early lead in the bottom of the second, getting more leadoff runners aboard before a sacrifice fly, RBI double, and a two-run homer made it a 6-0 margin in favor of the Scots. The hosts further added to their advantage in the bottom of the third with five runs, including a pair of two-run shots, to push their lead up to a 11-0 margin.
BC was able to get on the board in the top of the fourth inning with a four-run inning. Blake Burchett tallied the first hit of the afternoon with one out before a fielding error and walk loaded the bases up. Burchett was able to score on a bases-loaded Covenant balk before Vasquez drilled a three-run home run to left field, making it an 11-4 affair. Brevard got a pair of runners on with two outs in the frame, but a strikeout ended further damage.
Covenant used a two-out, two-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to a 13-4 margin as the contest shifted to the latter stages.
After scoreless frames for both teams in the sixth and seventh innings, Brevard staged a late-game comeback bid with a huge six-run eighth inning. Burchett led off the frame by reaching on a fielding error before Jucker singled, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Clark came up and slapped an RBI single to left field, plating Burchett, while Vasquez followed suit with an RBI single to left field, cutting the margin to 13-6.
Clark and Vasquez advanced on a wild pitch before Ryan Leiman hit a two-RBI single up the middle, cutting the deficit to just five runs, 13-8. Leiman came around to score on a wild pitch before Jack Atkinson drew a four-pitch walk, stole second, and scored on a Zach Allison RBI single that trimmed the deficit to three runs, 13-10.
Covenant hit its fourth home run of the afternoon, a solo shot that pushed the lead back up to a four-run advantage as the contest shifted to the ninth with Brevard in need of four runs or more to either tie or take the lead in the high-scoring affair.
Clark hit a one-out single through the left side of the infield and Vasquez followed up with a single to put runners on the corners with one out, but a fly out and a ground out ended the game, giving the Scots the series-opening victory 14-10.
The Tornados will look to bounce back as the two sides square off in a conference doubleheader tomorrow at 12 and 3 p.m.
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-BC-