Covenant College Athletics recently issued the following announcement.
Madison McDonald threw a complete-game gem in game two, picked up an RBI single along the way, and outstanding defense from the Covenant softball team led to a 2-1 win over No. 13 Berry in Tuesday's second game on Lookout Mountain.
Covenant (13-10) earned its first win over a ranked opponent in program history with the game two victory. It was also the first win for Covenant over Berry (19-8) since 2015, snapping a 14-game skid against the Vikings.
GAME TWO: Covenant 2, Berry 1
McDonald was outstanding in the circle and the Scots scratched across single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take down Berry, 2-1, in Tuesday's finale.
The freshman McDonald tossed her third complete game of the season as she went the distance and allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout.
McDonald was also key at the plate for the Scots. She drove in the game-tying run with a two-out single in the fourth inning.
Covenant was on the precipice of having a big inning in the fourth as Cope Whitaker led off with a single and the Scots put runners at first and second with one out. Rebecca Hazard singled up the middle, but Berry center fielder Aleeyah Thornton threw out the Scots runner at the plate to keep Covenant off the board. McDonald followed and delivered her first career hit to score Lauren Kay from third to even the score at 1-1.
The Scots took their first lead of the day in the fifth inning. Covenant loaded the bases with one out and Kay drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the go-ahead run and make it 2-1.
McDonald (4-2) held off the Vikings in the circle, thanks to some great defensive work. A one-out walk in the seventh put the tying run on base, but McDonald got Thornton to pop out to third and Kay rifled the ball to first to double-off pinch-runner Olivia Stefl to end the game.
Six different Scots had a hit in the game -- Taylor Murdock, Vanessa Davis, Whitaker, Hazard, McDonald, and Mary Elaine Mitchell. Kay walked three times in the win and drew five walks between the two games.
Berry reliever Blair Hall (3-2) got the loss after starter Emily Whitehead went four innings and allowed one run.
GAME ONE: Berry 10, Covenant 2
The Vikings used eight hits to produce seven runs in the sixth inning to take game one over the Scots, 10-2.
Berry took a 2-0 lead in the third, thanks to a home run from Katie White and an RBI double from Shelby Daniel. Covenant quickly answered back with two scores in their half of the same inning.
After Murdock reached on an error and Davis was hit by a pitch, a ground out from Hazard moved both runners up, putting Scots on second and third. Helena Nagy then singled to left field, bringing in both Murdock and Davis to score and tying the game at two runs apiece (2-2).
The Vikings would tack on one more run in the fifth thanks to two hits to take a 3-2 lead. And from there, it was all Berry, as they would add seven runs to their total in the sixth.
Nagy finished 2-of-3 with two RBIs. Lauren Kierpa (5-7) started in the circle for the Scots and earned the loss in 5.2 innings pitched.
White, Daniel, and Hall all went 2-for-3 and combined for seven RBIs. Madison Hollis started at pitcher for Berry, throwing 2.2 innings. Hannah Gore (10-1) picked up the win, recording three strikeouts, one walk, and zero earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched.
UP NEXT
Covenant hosts Wesleyan for a USA South doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.).
CONNECT WITH THE SCOTS
Be sure to follow the Scots all season long on athletics.covenant.edu and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news and other information.
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