Covington County committed two errors in the top of the ninth and Excel took advantage, scoring two runs to beat the host team 4-2 Friday night in the 16-18 State Babe Ruth Tournament at Crum Foshee Field in Andalusia.

The Panthers scored one run early in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.

Covington County answered in the fourth with one run, and the game stayed that way until the sixth, where Excel scored one run in the top half of the inning.

After hitting three singles back to back, Covington County squeezed across a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game back up at 2-2.

The game went into extra innings, where 10 total batters went up to plate for both teams.

Excel scored two runs in the top of the ninth on errors to pull away with the win.

With this loss, Covington County will play its next game tomorrow morning at 10 because two teams dropped out of the tournament — Butler and Monroe County.

Excel scored both runs in the ninth with two outs. Cody Waters and Zach Cumbie reached on errors to start the final inning.

Wesley Johnson then singled Waters home, and Cumbie came home on an error at second.

In the first inning, Excel scored the lead-off run on an RBI single from Cumbie that scored Waters.

Covington County scored one run in the fourth on a sac fly from Austin Leverington that scored Daniel Henderson, who reached on a walk.

Excel’s Chastin Taylor scored on an error at short in the sixth to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom half of the sixth, Henderson helped push another run across with a single that scored Zach Ward.

Johnson led Excel and went 2-for-5 with one RBI; Waters went 1-for-4; and Cumbie went 1-for-4.

Ward led Covington County and went 2-for-3 with a run; and Henderson went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Chastin Taylor pitched the complete game, striking out three batters and allowing two earned runs on four hits.

Covington County’s John Bess earned the loss, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing two runs on one hit.

Editor’s note: Due to producation issues, the Covington County 17-to-18-year-olds were still playing when the Star-News went to press Friday night.