Eagles off to best start at home since 2002 with 6-3 win over Saints
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Eagles (9-3) scored in four different innings to storm past the Limestone Saints (2-6) 6-3 Tuesday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagles are now 5-0 at home, their best start since a 6-0 beginning in 2002 when Carson-Newman won the South Atlantic Conference regular season championship and went to the NCAA Tournament.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 6 | 8 | 1 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Eagles (9-3) scored in four different innings to storm past the Limestone Saints (2-6) 6-3 Tuesday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagles are now 5-0 at home, their best start since a 6-0 beginning in 2002 when Carson-Newman won the South Atlantic Conference regular season championship and went to the NCAA Tournament.
"We're playing well at home," head coach Tom Griffin said. "You keep building confidence and you want to get better each time. If we can keep that mentality, it makes the game that much easier."
Carson-Newman scored in the first frame for the fourth time in the last five games. With two outs and runners and first and second base, sophomore first basemen Shade Jett (Talbott, Tenn.) laced the first pitch he saw into left field to score junior right fielder Cody Fox (Seymour, Tenn.).
The Eagles added to their lead in the fifth stanza. With one out, junior catcher JD Cowart (Athens, Tenn.) doubled on the first pitch of his at-bat. A throwing error by third basemen Tyler Wood allowed freshman center fielder Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) to reach base safely. Senior second basemen Trace Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.) smacked a fastball into center field to make it a 2-0 game. Addington scored on a wild pitch. Junior left fielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single to left field that scored Rogers and gave the home team a 4-0 lead.
Griffin's group extended the lead in the next inning when Cowart lined a 2-1 pitch into right field that scored junior shortstop Bryan Everhart (Greeneville, Tenn.).
Addington led off the seventh inning with a single and promptly stole second base. After Rogers grounded out, Fox laced a single to left field that scored the Eagle center fielder and gave the home team a 6-0 advantage.
In the top of the ninth inning, Griffin brought in junior right-hander Hayden Williams (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who made his college debut after he stopped playing baseball after a couple shoulder surgeries. Williams walked the first batter, but induced a 5-4-3 double play to wipe the bases clean. He hit the next batter on an 0-2 pitch and threw three pitches to the next batter before senior right-hander Daniel Sharp (Johnson City, Tenn.) was summoned from the bullpen. Sharp walked Josh Greene to load the bases for KJ McAllister. The second basemen cleared the bases with a doubled to the gap in right center before Sharp induced a game-ending ground out from Chris Scura.
"It's a great story," Griffin said of Williams. "He's had multiple shoulder surgeries. He stopped playing ball and has been helping our athletic training department. He threw a game this spring just to throw and his arm felt pretty good."
Sophomore right-hander Clayton Eames (Hoschton, Ga.) earned his first career victory as he threw a career-high 6.2 innings scattering five hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
"He has a lot of movement," Griffin said of his starting pitcher. "Sometimes he has trouble controlling that, but today he did another good job because that is a veteran club. He did a much better job controlling his movement."
Carson-Newman is back in action Friday evening at 6 p.m. when the Eagles begin a three-game series against the top team in the SAC, Tusuclum in Greeneville, Tenn.
- CN -
_of_Evan_Kirkpatrick_story.jpg?max_width=767)
