By JORDON SEMIEN/For the Reporter

ALABASTER — A sunny Saturday morning set the scene for a March 1 rematch between old rivals as the Covenant Christian Academy Falcons traveled two hours south to face the Lightning of Evangel Christian, with the Falcons coming away with a 7-5 win.

After splitting a series with Evangel on Feb. 24, the Falcons looked to take a season series edge in the first game of the doubleheader. The Lightning sent Jessyca Ray to the mound to face off with Covenant’s high-powered offense.

Covenant was first on the board in the top of the first as the Falcons used timely hitting to take a 1-0 lead. The Lightning responded with a big third inning push. After a bases loaded walk and a hit by pitch free base for a two to one lead, Evangel extended their advantage to 4-1 with a Jordan Swindle two-RBI single.

Ray kept her pace through the early going with a three up, three down fourth inning before the Evangel offense loaded the basses again for a Rachel Clayton single to push the lead to 5-1.

It appeared the Lightning had the game’s momentum on its side, but the Falcons refused to go down quietly. The Falcon staff kept Evangel to those five runs for majority of the game. With two runners on in the top of the seventh, Covenant got a pair of runs to cut the lead to two. Two plays later, the Falcons put the tying and winning runs across for a 7-5 win. Ray pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and a 9.00 ERA.

The Lighting fell to 3-2 with the loss, and will look to regroup with another doubleheader March 20 against Success Unlimited Academy of Montgomery. The first game is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. in Alabaster.