Covenant Day baseball blanks Cannon, continues hot start to 2025 season
Covenant Day’s best baseball start in school history continued Thursday night as the Lions scored three times in the sixth inning in a 3-0 victory over Cannon School at Matthews’ Warner Park.
Covenant Day improved to 11-1 overall and 2-0 in a CISAA conference that historically produces NCISAA state title contenders.
“We just found a way to win,” said Lions 16th-year head coach David Houseton, whose team has won nine straight since losing 2-1 at state power Grace Christian of Sanford on March 7. “That’s kind of been our season. We just keep the games close and find a way to win at the end.”
Senior right-hander Grant Gardner, who is committed to play at Davidson, fired a two-hitter with one walk and 12 strikeouts.
“We didn’t come out super hot and then we’re able to battle and compete,” Gardner said. “It was an ugly win but a win is a win.”
Gardner faced only two batters over the minimum as the first hit he yielded was erased when the runner tried to steal second base.
But visiting Cougars’ right-hander Bennett Miller matched Gardner for the first five innings until back-to-back singles by Hunter Kincheloe and James Cosper started a three-run sixth inning that proved decisive.
Kincheloe singled to center, stole second base and scored on Cosper’s single to right field. Cosper later scored on an infield popup and Brodie Dixon scored on a two-out fielding error to cap the game’s scoring.
Three who made a difference
Grant Gardner, Covenant Day: Senior right-hander threw a two-hitter with one walk and 12 strikeouts while improving to 4-0 on the season.
Bennett Miller, Cannon: Senior right-hander threw a four-hitter with two walks, a hit batter and three strikeouts.
James Cosper, Covenant Day: Hit a 1-2 pitch to right field to drive in the game’s first run. He later scored.
Notable
▪ Cannon fell to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in the CISAA following its second shutout loss to the Lions; Covenant Day won 9-0 at Cannon on Tuesday.
▪ The visiting Cougars entered the game with a pair of .500 hitters in Mason Mierzwa (.529) and Colin Kieley (.500). On Thursday, each went 1-for-3, getting Cannon’s only base hits. Mierzwa a second-inning sincle and Kieley a fourth-inning single.
▪ Cannon plays at Charlotte’s Pro Stock Royals Academy on Monday before hosting Charlotte Latin on Tuesday and visiting Charlotte Latin next Friday in CISAA action.
Covenant Day visits Durham Academy on Saturday at noon before returning to CISAA action next week at Providence Day on Tuesday and at Providence Day next Thursday.
They said it
“Obviously it feels good to be playing well. We benefit from having three senior starting pitchers that have just been awesome of the year. Also, being a senior-heavy team, we bring a lot of experience into our games.” — Covenant Day coach David Houseton
Game Summary
Cannon 000 000 0 - 0 2 1
Covenant Day 000 003 x - 3 4 0
WP — Grant Gardner. LP — Bennett Miller. Top hitters: Cannon - Colin Kieley 1-3, Mason Mierzwa 1-3, CD - Hunter Kircheloe 1-3, James Cosper 1-3 (RBI), Mikey Scaletta 1-3 (double), Zeb Egstrom 1-2 (RBI).
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM.
