Situational hitting, Cate’s pitching carry Eagles to 9-6 triumph over Anderson
March 16, 2018

Situational hitting, Cate’s pitching carry Eagles to 9-6 triumph over Anderson

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (15-9, 7-3 South Atlantic Conference) hit .350 with runners on base and got a career-high 7.2 innings from starting pitcher Dillon Cate to collect a 9-6 game-one win over Anderson Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.

VIDEO: Game Highlights

VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview

VIDEO: Ethan Goforth Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (15-9, 7-3 South Atlantic Conference) hit .350 with runners on base and got a career-high 7.2 innings from starting pitcher Dillon Cate to collect a 9-6 game-one win over Anderson Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.

"Anytime you win game one, that's key," head coach Tom Griffin said. "We came out good putting up crooked numbers, then Dillon was very effective.  Credit to Coach Miller and their squad.  They put some things together for battling."

The Eagles went 7-for-20 at the plate with runners on base and tallied up a litany of timely two-out knocks.  The Eagles were 6-for-15 at the dish when down to their last out and scored six of their nine runs with two away.

"We've set some goals with what we want to do average wise and we struggled with that at the beginning of the year," Griffin said. "You want to compete every pitch.  That being said, you can let white noise get in the way with runners in scoring position.  You can always tell a good hitter when you've got a runner in scoring position and judging how they perform."  

Dillon Cate (Sevierville, Tenn.) got the job done on the bump, firing a career-high 7.2 innings of nine-strikeout ball to improve to 3-1 on the year. 

The Eagles opened the scoring in the bottom of the first frame with three runs. John Sharpe (Franklin, Tenn.) crushed his third home run of the season clearing the fence in left field. Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) doubled and came in to score on a ground out by Ethan Goforth (Blacksburg, Va.). After a fielding error and a base hit, Jordan Griffin (Ellersie, Ga.) lined a single into center field to cap the scoring in the initial frame.

In the top of the second stanza, the Trojans had two on with two outs when Alex Medlin hit a single into right field to plate Jackson Strange and make it a two-run contest at 3-1.

C-N did more damage with two outs in the bottom of the seventh as Snapp trickled a base hit through the left side of the infield to bring in Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) who started the frame with a double. Goforth pushed the lead to 5-1 a double down the right-field line.

Colby Morgan (Hixson, Tenn.) drew a four-pitch walk to start the bottom of the fifth. Four pitches later, on a 1-2 count, Griffin belted a 1-2 offering over the wall in left field for his first-career home run. Sharpe and Goforth added run-producing knocks sliding the lead to 9-1.

Strange got one back for Anderson in the top of the seventh launching a 0-1 delivery down the left-field line with one out making it a 9-2 contest. The Trojans responded with two more in the eighth and ninth innings to set the final margin at 9-6. 

Goforth, Snapp and Griffin led the Eagles at the plate.  Goforth and Snapp each logged three-hit days, while Griffin went 2-for-5 with a bomb. Griffin and Goforth both drove in three runs on the day. 

"We've got to get rest tonight," Griffin said. "Get ready for tomorrow and worry about the next pitch.  Every pitch matters, we never let up and we never give in."

Carson-Newman and Anderson will finish up the series on Saturday at noon with a doubleheader at the SDBC. Broadcast coverage starts 10 minutes before first pitch on cnealges.com/live courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network.

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