MARYVILLE – Maryville recorded its first shutout of the season Thursday night, defeating Covenant 2-0 on Day 1 of the CCS baseball tournament.
Mitchell Grannan started on the bump for MC in the opening-round game, pitching a career-high 7 1/3 scoreless innings. The Sophomore scattered five hits and allowed just two walks while striking out two batters.
The Chattanooga native lowered his season ERA to 3.31 (24 ER/ 65.1 IP) while walking his fewest batters (2) since March 28, against Oberlin.
After allowing a batter in the seventh, fireman
Xavier Resto was called in from the bullpen to extinguish the Covenant flame.
The sophomore pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits while striking out one batter. He recorded his sixth save of the season in the contest.
Maryville picked up just four hits in the game, led by two from
Zach Devries. Maryville's other two hits came from
Ashton Whiteaker and
Jacob Johnston, who each drove in a run in the low-scoring affair.
Whiteaker broke open the scoring in the fourth inning, smacking his sixth home run of the season, tying
Zac Graham for the team lead in that category.
With runners on the corners, Johnston doubled the MC lead in the fifth, driving home
Colin Dunworth with a single up the middle to make it 2-0.
Covenant held Maryville hitless over its final three at-bats, but the damage was done, and Maryville advanced to the winner's bracket of the tournament.
MC will face off against LaGrange on Day 2, after the Panthers defeated Piedmont Thursday night. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 1 p.m.
