April 25, 2025

Bench Guides Eagles to Gritty Win Over Mars Hill

The Eagles and Lions beat the clock, avoiding a monsoon just minutes after the Eagles clinched a 3-2 series-opening victory.

Mars Hill

13-35, 6-22

#17 Carson-Newman

34-14, 20-8

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Mars Hill	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	5	0
#17 Carson-Newman	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	X	3	3	0

VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview

VIDEO: Highlights

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Eagles and Lions beat the clock, avoiding a monsoon just minutes after the Eagles clinched a 3-2 series-opening victory.

Carson-Newman (34-14, 20-8 South Atlantic Conference) took a gritty victory where only five runs and eight hits were collected between C-N and Mars Hill (13-35, 6-22 SAC).

"Andrew Bench competed," Carson-Newman baseball head coach Tom Griffin said. "He represented the 'Great White North' like it is. They're tough, you grow up playing hockey and they don't have good pitchers up there usually because they're always playing hockey and you get checked into the boards so your shoulder is all messed up. But, he must have played goalie growing up because he's a pretty good pitcher."

Mars Hill starting pitcher Dustin Dunlap shut down the Eagles through four no-hit innings before Braxton Smith (Cleveland, Tenn.) laced a double down the left field line to set up a RBI single from Frankie Delgado (Deltona, Fla.) to score the game's opening run.

Delgado would score himself after swiping second, taking third on a wild pitch, and crossing the plate on a fielder's choice hit into by Ryan Jenkins (Winter Haven, Fla.) to take a 2-0 lead into the sixth.

That lead would not last long as the Lions' Carter Potts got aboard with a leadoff single, and the very next batter, Max LaLime, blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall just south of 350 feet to tie the game.

The fifth and sixth innings saw both sides exchanging blows as the Eagles loaded the bases with just one out in the bottom of the sixth, prompting a pitching change for the Lions. After the new MHU arm collected a strikeout, the control didn't last long, and a walk to Delgado drove in the eventual game-winning run.

Andrew Bench (Fonthill, Ont.) earned a quality start tossing seven innings, allowing two runs and three hits while striking out three. He improves to 4-1 in his final appearances of the regular season.

Eli Norris (Ringgold, Ga.) earned his ninth save, hurling a shutout ninth inning to keep the Lions at bay.

The Eagles needed arms to get out of a scary situation in the eighth after Xavier Hart (Sellersburg, Ind.) put two outs on the Lions inning, but runners at second and third threatened, which prompted a call to the bullpen where Blake Cooper (Maryville, Tenn.) took over.

Walker Fox flared a tough ball down the right field line, but it landed less than a foot foul in a ball that would have scored both runners.

Christian Galindo took the loss in relief, allowing Delgado to get aboard before he came around to score the eventual game-winning run. He falls to 0-1 on the season.

Carson-Newman plays its final games of the regular season in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 26, starting at noon. The 2025 Senior Day ceremony will commence at 11:20 a.m. You can watch the game with a subscription via FloSports. An audio-only stream will also be available courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.

To keep up to date with Carson-Newman Baseball, follow us on social media @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram or Facebook at Carson-Newman Athletics. You can also log online to cneagles.com for team schedules, rosters, news, and more.