Huntingdon splits conference doubleheader with Covenant

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Huntingdon baseball team took Game 1 but stumbled in Game 2 on Saturday in the final two games of a conference series at Covenant.

The Hawks won 12-6 in the first game but fell 11-10 in the second game. Covenant (12-17, 5-10 USA South) won the series with the win in the final game.

Huntingdon (10-20, 7-8 USA South) is sixth in the USA South Athletic Conference standings with one conference series remaining before the conference tournament begins on April 12. The top eight teams advance to the conference tournament.

Seniors Kevin Barnett and Cody Shoemaker and freshman Garrett Breland combined for nine RBIs in the doubleheader and sophomore Will Cosby scored five runs.

Barnett had three RBIs and two runs and reached base seven times in nine plate appearances, going 2-for-4, drawing three walks and getting hit by a pitch twice. Shoemaker had three RBIs and Breland had three RBIs and two runs, including his first collegiate home run in Game 2. Cosby scored five runs, had one RBI, drew two walks and was 3-for-7 on the day.

In Game 1, Huntingdon built an 8-0 lead in the first four innings to take control. Leading 2-0 in the fourth, the Hawks sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the inning.

Barnett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in one run before Josh Jackson singled in a run and Cosby drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-0. Barnett scored on a wild pitch to make it a six-run game before the Hawks added two more runs on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Fought and an RBI single by Shoemaker.

Covenant cut the lead to 8-6 in the fifth inning but Huntingdon answered with three runs in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh.

Shoemaker finished Game 1 with three RBIs and two hits and Fought had two RBIs, a run and two hits. Cosby scored two runs and had an RBI and Joseph Calvert, Wes Powell and Josh Hines each scored twice. Robert Walker, Barnett and Jackson each had an RBI and a run.

Carden Mellown (1-4) picked up the win, striking out nine, walking two, giving up 10 hits and allowing six earned runs in eight innings. Wes Nail pitched the final inning, allowing one walk and forcing three flyouts.

In Game 2, Huntingdon fell behind 7-2 in the first three innings before rallying in the middle innings. The Hawks scored four runs in the fifth inning and three runs in the sixth inning.

Huntingdon went ahead 9-8 in the top of the sixth on Breland's three-run homer, but Covenant answered and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Hawks took a 10-9 lead in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Jackson, but Covenant tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Cosby was 3-for-5 with three runs in Game 2 and Breland had three RBIs and two runs. Barnett was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run and Walker was 2-for-4 with a run. Corey Lowe and Powell each had an RBI and a run, Jackson had one RBI and Fought scored once.

Ryan Smith (1-1) took the loss in three innings of relief.

Huntingdon steps out of conference play and travels to Belhaven on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.