Huntingdon takes Game 1 of USA South series against Covenant

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team built an eight-run lead in the first six innings and used another solid outing by sophomore pitcher Carden Mellown to knock off Covenant College 9-3 on Friday.

Mellown (5-2) earned the win, striking out 10, walking two, allowing seven hits and three earned runs in eight innings. This was the second time in his last three starts that Mellown has recorded double-digit strikeouts. The Hueytown, Ala., native has 31 strikeouts in his last 24 innings.

Freshman Ethan Hess pitched the final inning, facing four batters, striking out three and allowing one hit.

Taylor Fought and Will Cosby helped the Hawks take an early 2-0 lead. Fought drove in Cosby with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. In the third inning, Fought drove in Cosby with an RBI single. The Hawks took a 3-0 lead in the third when Chandler DeRieux drove in Wes Powell on a fielder's choice.

Jud Owens scored on an RBI single by Garrett Headley in the fourth inning before Huntingdon used a four-run sixth inning to make it 8-0. In the sixth, Owens scored on a wild pitch and Joseph Calvert scored on an error before DeRieux drove in Powell and Cosby with a two-run double.

Cosby scored the Hawks' final run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning.

Owens was the only Hawk with multiple hits and finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs. Cosby scored four runs and Powell scored twice. DeRieux finished with three RBIs and Fought had two RBIs. Headley had one RBI and Calvert scored one run.

Records: Huntingdon (14-15, 6-7 USA South); Covenant (9-18, 7-9 USA South)

Coming Up: The two teams will close out their USA South Athletic Conference series with a doubleheader on Saturday. Game 1 is set for 1 p.m.