Nathan’s two-run homer carries Carson-Newman to Saturday split with No. 6/3 Catawba
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In a series where late leads kept disappearing, it looked like it was going to happen again for Carson-Newman (10-11, 3-9). However, clutch hits from Matthew Bishop and Cole Nathan helped the Eagles earn a split on Saturday against No. 6/3 Catawba (16-4, 10-2) at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 6 | 7 | 0 |
VIDEO: Carson-Newman 6, Catawba 4 (Highlights)
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In a series where late leads kept disappearing, it looked like it was going to happen again for Carson-Newman (10-11, 3-9). However, clutch hits from Matthew Bishop and Cole Nathan helped the Eagles earn a split on Saturday against No. 6/3 Catawba (16-4, 10-2) at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
While Nathan had the game-winning hit with the two-run home run, key hits from Johno Pierce and a game-tying double from Matthew Bishop set the table.
"This was a battle, and to be right there in it yesterday, and even in the first game, and then it slips away from us there at the end. It's baseball, but that's a punch in the gut, and you got no wind, and now you got to come back 30 minutes later, and your guys are dealing out there, and then all of a sudden, bang, you get punched again," head coach Tom Griffin said. "You got to have someone step up to have something good happen, somebody's got to step up. And for us, Johno Pierce, that was a huge hit there to help us get to tie that game, allow Bishop to get that hit, a guy who's not had the year he's wanted, but that's stepping up, right there. That was his moment, right there."
The win in the second game marked the first win over a top-five team since February 15, 2020, when the Eagles defeated No. 1 Tampa. Also the first win over a ranked team this season for Carson-Newman.
Catawba 10, Carson-Newman 8
It was a quality start for Christian Henderson in his return to the Silver Diamond Baseball complex. The sophomore held the Catawba Indians scoreless through the first five frames, allowing his offense to capitalize in the bottom of the fourth.
In that fourth, Sebastian Rodriguez led off the inning with a walk, and Matt Bishop moved him along with a double down the left field line that brought two runners into scoring position. Aiden Gibson and Braxton Smith put together back-to-back sacrifice flies to put the Eagles ahead 2-0 and hand them the first RBIs of the afternoon.
Catawba found an answer in the top of the sixth in a similar fashion, challenging Henderson with a walk and a double down the right field line from Brandon Crabtree, who drove in Logan Dyer. Then, a base hit from Hunter Atkins scored Crabtree, 2-2.
C-N reclaimed the lead in the bottom half, as Bradley Soto Diaz started with a single, stole second and then scored on the double from Sebastian Rodriguez. Following a balk, a groundout from Braxton Smith plated Rodriguez, 4-2.
Catawba got one back in the seventh on a solo home run from Nathan Chrismon to straightaway center, 4-3.
However, the Eagles responded by electrifying the crowd on display as Maddox Greene reached on a bunt, and then a walk from Cole Nathan put two on with no outs. This set the table for the no-doubt, three-run home run from Logan Floyd, his third home run of the week, 7-3.
The Indians would not go away, as Hunter Atkins followed up Floyd's blast with a three-run shot of his own after the first two got on in the eighth, 7-6.
A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth from Maddox Greene scored Smith, 8-6. So, the lead was two for Carson-Newman, trying to force a rubber match as it turned to Eli Norris.
Catawba would score four in the top of the ninth, as the first three reached, a fielder's choice brought one in and trimmed the lead to one. After a walk loaded the bases, Atkins came through for the second straight inning, hitting a triple to left, clearing the bases, 10-8.
In the bottom half, Floyd led off with a double off the new arm for Catawba. Soto Diaz and Rodriguez both struck out swinging to put two outs on the board, and the ballgame was put away when Gibson grounded out to second.
Carson-Newman 6, Catawba 4
Kolton Casson got the start in game two for Carson-Newman and tossed a scoreless frame in the first, as his offense got to work in the bottom half. After a nine-pitch battle that featured five consecutive two-strike foul balls, Colton Evans opened the scoring with a solo home run to right field, 1-0, his second of the season.
Following another zero put up from Casson, the Eagles doubled the lead on their second home run in as many innings as Aiden Gibson went deep to left field, 2-0. As he continued on his hot-hitting weekend for the third baseman.
The two sides traded scoreless innings from the third through the fifth, as Casson increased his strikeout total to five going into the sixth.
As Catawba had done the entire weekend, it found its offensive spark in the late stages. In all three contests, the Indians didn't plate their first run until the fifth inning or later; in game two, it was the sixth.
It started with back-to-back doubles, putting two in scoring position, as a sacrifice fly from Nathan Chrismon drove in Matthew Connolly. Following a walk, Malachi Cloud doubled down the left field line, tying the game up. Then, with two outs, Brandon Crabtree delivered in another big moment, with a two-run single to give Catawba its first lead, 4-2.
Facing a late deficit once more, Tom Griffin and company pushed the right buttons in the comeback. It started with a walk from Braxton Smith, followed by a backside double by Johno Pierce, putting the tying run in scoring position. In a crucial moment, Matthew Bishop came in as a pinch hitter and slapped one to right, scoring Smith and Pierce, 4-4.
Moments later, it was time for Cole Nathan to steal the spotlight as he launched his first home run of the season, 6-4, sending the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex into a frenzy.
Casson shut things down with a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame in the seventh for his second complete game. He finished with nine strikeouts, tossing 128 pitches, a true old-school performance in the mind of his head coach.
"We keep reminding the guys, don't look at that scoreboard. Just play every pitch. Be the best version of yourself. Worry about the things you can control, be a great teammate, and if we do that every day, good things will happen," Griffin said. "I told them, we may not win another game, we may win 20 more games, it doesn't matter. How we go about our business is what's important."
Carson-Newman hits the road for a contest with Lee on Tuesday. The Flames defeated the Eagles, 9-2, on February 24th. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. in Cleveland, Tennessee. A live stream of the game is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/flobase. The game can be heard on cneagles.com/live. Fans can also watch the radio crew at work with a feed of press row on YouTube.
