Huntingdon completes sweep of conference preseason No. 1 Covenant

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team wrapped up another conference sweep with a pair of wins over preseason USA South Athletic Conference favorite Covenant College on Saturday.

The Hawks took Game 1 of the doubleheader 1-0 and won the final game 11-1. Huntingdon won the first game of the series 9-8 on Friday night.

During the past three weekends of conference play, Huntingdon (12-5, 8-1 USA South) has earned two series sweeps and took two games in the other series.

Dominant pitching set the tone on Saturday. Sophomore Jackson Cruce and senior Gavin Free were the only two Hawks to take the mound in the doubleheader.

Cruce (4-0), who pitched a complete game in a seven-inning game earlier this season, went nine innings for the win in Game 1. In Game 2, Free (3-2) pitched a complete game, gave up one unearned run and struck out 14 to earn the win.

In a pitchers' duel with Covenant's Garrett Kriston, Cruce struck out five and held the Scots (6-4, 3-3 USA South) to five hits. Kriston (2-1), who entered the game with a 2-0 record, 20 strikeouts, six hits and zero runs allowed in 15 innings, struck out 10 and held the Hawks to just three hits in eight innings.

But two hits and a run in the third inning provided just enough offense for the Hawks. Sophomore short stop Landon Sessions tripled in the bottom of the third and scored on a bunt by freshman catcher Clark Berry to put the Hawks in front.

Cruce and the Huntingdon defense held the Scots to two hits during the final six innings.

In Game 2, Huntingdon scored four runs in the first inning, added a run in the fifth and seventh innings and blew the game open with five runs in the eighth inning.

Free kept Covenant off balance from start to finish as the Scots managed multiple hits in an inning just once and seven hits for the game. Free struck out at least two batters in five innings and recorded the final three outs of the game on strikeouts.

Sophomore left fielder Patrick Kucera and freshman third baseman Will Pharis combined for five hits, three RBIs and three runs in the second game. Kucera was 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run and Pharis was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs.

Senior first baseman Tyler Blackwell had two RBIs and a run, sophomore right fielder Cheston Wesson had two RBIs and senior center fielder Trammell DeJarnett had two runs and a RBI.

Sessions and junior second baseman Jordan Freeman each scored twice and Berry had a RBI and a run.

Huntingdon returns to conference play at home next weekend. The Hawks host Greensboro in the first game of a three-game series on Friday at 6 p.m.