February 10, 2013

Eagles fall to fifth-ranked Pacers 7-0

AIKEN, S.C. – The Carson-Newman Eagles baseball team (3-4) fell to the no. 5 USC Aiken Pacers (5-1) by a 7-0 score at Roberto Hernandez Stadium on Saturday afternoon. For the second day in a row, the Eagles were held to only four hits, as the Pacers earned the series win by winning Sunday’s rubber match. The Eagles took the opening game of the series 8-0 on Friday, while USC Aiken won 6-0 yesterday, and today’s result was the third shutout of the weekend.

Carson-Newman

3-4

USC Aiken

5-1

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Carson-Newman	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
USC Aiken	0	0	0	3	0	4	0	0	X	7	15	0

AIKEN, S.C. – The Carson-Newman Eagles baseball team (3-4) fell to the no. 5 USC Aiken Pacers (5-1) by a 7-0 score at Roberto Hernandez Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

For the second day in a row, the Eagles were held to only four hits, as the Pacers earned the series win by winning Sunday's rubber match. The Eagles took the opening game of the series 8-0 on Friday, while USC Aiken won 6-0 yesterday, and today's result was the third shutout of the weekend.

USC Aiken starter Wyatt Brown (1-0) earned the win after tossing six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits, walking one, and striking out five.

Carson-Newman right-handed starter Quinton Yocum (1-1) took the loss after giving up six runs (all earned) on 11 hits in five and a third innings of work. The sophomore did not walk any batters and collected four strikeouts in his first loss of the season.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning. Ryan Metzler gave Aiken its first lead with an RBI double, and two batters later Sean Miller hit a two-RBI double down the left field line to bring home two more runs to put the Pacers ahead 3-0 in the last of the fourth.

The Pacers would strike for four more runs in the bottom of the sixth. After John Fidanza added an RBI single to give the Pacers a 4-0 lead. After Carson-Newman's Ben McKinney replaced Yocum on the mound, the Eagles loaded the bases by intentionally walking Josh Miller. Grayson Smith delivered a two-RBI single through the left side to put USC Aiken up 6-0.

The final Pacers run also came in the last of the sixth, when Bryce Bauer brought home Smith on an RBI single to right field to put the advantage at 7-0, which would be the final.

The Pacers collected their seven runs on fifteen hits. Three of Carson-Newman's four hits came from the top three hitters in the order: Peter Rajkovich, Brandon Roberts, and Zach Long, while pinch-hitter Trace Rogers also delivered a single in the ninth inning.

After Brown's six scoreless frames, the Pacer bullpen worked the final three innings to complete the shutout as Jake Padgett, Caleb Smith, and Taylor Grover all tossed scoreless innings. McKinney gave up one run on two hits in his two-thirds innings on the mound. Josh Russell and Daniel Sharp worked scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth respectively for the Eagles.

The Eagles return home for a six-game homestand, beginning with midweek contests against Lander on Tuesday and Maryville (Tenn.) on Wednesday. Both games begin at 2 p.m. at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex, with coverage available on the Coca-Cola Eagle Sports Network.