Hawks hold off Covenant in Game 1 of USA South baseball series

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team survived a comeback attempt by Covenant College and held on for a 9-8 win Friday night in the first game of a conference series.

The two teams will play a doubleheader at Posey Field on Saturday. Game 1 is set for 2 p.m.

The Hawks (10-5, 6-1 USA South) took a 6-1 lead in the first five innings but gave up five runs in the top of the sixth. With the game tied, Huntingdon manufactured three runs in the bottom of the sixth and held the Scots (6-2, 3-1 USA South) to two runs during the final three innings.

Tied 6-6 in the sixth, Huntingdon's Trammell DeJarnett and Tyler Blackwell both scored on a Covenant error before Nathan Edwards scored on a passed ball. The three runs proved to be just enough.

Reliever Dalton Dalrymple and closer Neil Lawler held the Scots to two runs and four hits for the remainder of the game. Dalrymple (1-0) picked up his first win of the season in two innings and Lawler earned his fourth save in two innings of work.

Freshman third baseman Will Pharis was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run and DeJarnett, a senior center fielder, was 2-for-5 with two runs.

Blackwell, a senior first baseman, and senior left fielder Gavin Free each scored twice. Edwards, a senior designated hitter, and junior second baseman Jordan Freeman each had a RBI and a run and sophomore short stop Landon Sessions and freshman catcher Clark Berry each had a RBI.