LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The Covenant baseball team tied a program record with four home runs and the Scots had 13 hits on the day in a 12-7 victory over non-conference and NCAA Division II member Oakland City on Tuesday afternoon.
Alex Kerr hit two of Covenant's four home runs while Caleb Bloye and Luke Harvey added a homer each. The four homers as a team marks the third time in the modern era the program has achieved the feat and the first since April 5, 2013 against Tennessee Temple. Kerr two home runs is the 11th time in the program's history a player has hit two homers in a game and the first since Braeden Lane did it against Hiwassee on March 15, 2013.
Covenant (12-13) scored two runs in the second and four more in the third to build a 6-0 lead. Kerr hit his first home run of the day in the second, a two-run shot to left field, giving Covenant a 2-0 lead.
In the third, Julien Amorelli drove in a run as he beat out a potential double play ball that enabled Devin Cerrato to score and make it 3-0. That setup Kerr again as he launched his second long ball of the day, a no-doubt three-run homer to left field, giving the Scots a 6-0 lead. The two home runs gives Kerr three on the year.
Oakland City (8-10) came back with four in the fourth inning to slice the Scots' lead to 6-4. But the offense was back at it in the fifth.
In that fifth inning, Perry Rigby drove in Amorelli with an RBI single to center field. Two batters later and with the bases loaded, Luke Harvey blasted a grand slam to right field making it 11-4. The home run was Harvey's first of the year.
Bloye capped the Covenant scoring in the sixth with a leadoff home run that cleared the left field scoreboard. That home run was Bloye's third of the year.
Covenant used five pitchers to keep Oakland City at bay. Grant Kierpa made his second start of the year and went the first 3.1 innings before giving way to Drew Bradley. Bradley (1-0) picks up his first collegiate victory as he went 2.2 innings allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Kerr finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and five RBIs. Harvey was 3-for-5 with a run and four RBIs, while Bloye went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Taylor Bloyealso collected two hits in three at-bats and tossed a scoreless inning in relief.
Oakland City starter Dylan Allen (1-4) gets the loss after allowing two earned runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings. Craig Peters and Caleb Wagner had two hits apiece to lead the Mighty Oaks' offense.