LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Calvin University baseball team split its doubleheader at Covenant (Ga.) on Saturday, winning game one 10-8 before falling 7-6 in game two.

Calvin 10, Covenant 8

The Knights jumped out to a big lead in game one and held on in the final innings to win 10-8.

Calvin jumped in front with three runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI-single from Caden Penn (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North), followed by a two-run double from Nate Mason (Portage, Mich./Portage Northern).

After the Scots tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the first, Mason pushed the Knights back ahead with a three-run home run to cap a five-run second inning to give the Knights an 8-3 lead. Matt Raymond (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) and Patrick Gillen (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) started the scoring in the inning with one-run singles.

The Scots started to peck away at the Calvin lead, scoring once in the fourth inning and twice more in fifth to cut the Knights' advantage of 8-6, but Calvin added two critical runs with the help of an error to push their lead back to four.

Covenant continued to press in the late innings, scoring once in the eighth and once more in the ninth, but Fletcher Bandstra (Schererville, Ind./Illiana Christian) got the final two outs in the ninth to get out of a bases loaded jam to secure the win and earn his first save of the season.

Alex Owen (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns) started the game and went the first 3.1 innings before Matt Reynolds (Hopkins, Mich./Hopkins) pitched the next five in relief, allowing four runs on five hits in 5.0 innings to improve to 2-0 on the season. 

Calvin finished the game with nine hits, led by two apiece from Raymond, Gillen and Mason. Mason finished the game with five runs batted in (RBI), and his home run was his third of the season (and of the weekend series).

Covenant 7, Calvin 6

The Knights were unable to complete the weekend sweep as Covenant came from behind to win game two 7-6 in seven innings.

Calvin once again started strong with three runs in the first inning with the help of RBI singles from Raymond and Gillen, but the Scots answered with two runs in their first two frames off Calvin starting pitcher Connor Comiskey (Shelby Township, Mich./Lutheran North).

The Knights added to their lead with another Mason RBI-single and Penn sacrifice fly, but the Scots came back with four runs in the fifth inning off Calvin relievers Kyle Pretzer (Macomb, Mich./Lutheran North) and Nolan Coil (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) to take a 6-5 lead.

After Covenant scored one insurance run in the sixth, Logan Nelson (Fremont, Mich./Fremont) cut the deficit in half with a fielder's choice, but the Knights stranded the tying run at first base to end the inning.

Coil fell to 0-3 on the season in relief, allowing one run on two hits in 0.2 innings of work. Gillen and Mason each finished with two hits to lead the Calvin offense.

The Knights moved to 6-6 on the season following the split, while Covenant moved to 4-6.

COACH'S COMMENT: "Our bats really came alive this entire weekend," Calvin head baseball coach Kevin Van Duyn said. "I thought we had great approaches at the plate, and our relief pitching was also stellar all weekend. It was a tough road trip for our guys, and I'm extremely proud of the way they competed, stuck together, and came out with a series win."

NEXT UP: The Calvin University baseball team returns to action on Friday, March 17, when it starts a three-game series at Wittenberg University. First pitch of Friday's game is scheduled for 4:30 PM.