Self-inflicted mistakes eliminate C-N from SAC Tournament
WINGATE, N.C. – Carson-Newman (31-19) walked a season-high 12 batters and committed a season-high three errors in an 8-2 loss to seventh-seeded Newberry (28-25) on Saturday night at Ron Christopher Stadium.
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WINGATE, N.C. – Carson-Newman (31-19) walked a season-high 12 batters and committed a season-high three errors in an 8-2 loss to seventh-seeded Newberry (28-25) on Saturday night at Ron Christopher Stadium.
"Jay's club played pretty well," Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. "We obviously gave them a lot of freebies in that third inning and you can't give a team like that freebies. That was really the story of the game. This is the hardest part of the year as you say goodbye to a team that won't be together again. It was a rewarding season and we overcame a lot of things with injuries and setbacks. These guys grew as a team and it was a close-knit group. They did the right things, treated others like they wanted to be treated. There was a lot of planting seeds with our faith. We feel like the young men leaving our program are definitely prepared for the next step."
Carson-Newman goes 0-2 in the South Atlantic Conference tournament, failing to win a game in the league tournament for the first time since 2015.
Newberry has won four straight games in the conference tournament against C-N.
The Eagles offense suffered through late woes, unlike any they had experienced this season. Six hits in each of the two tournament losses is the fewest in consecutive games this season. Entering the tournament, C-N had scored at least four runs in 33 straight games and was held to just three in 18 innings this weekend. Carson-Newman faced two All-SAC starting pitchers in both of their tournament games, something that no other league team had to do in the conference tournament.
Carson-Newman's defense was sharp for Drew Fletcher (Waxhaw, N.C.) early on. With two runners on in the first, Sebastian Rodriguez (Greensboro, N.C.) started a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.
Fletcher worked around a one-out double in the second, but ran into trouble in the third inning.
Newberry's third inning began with an infield single that was hit very softly toward third base. After a deep fly out, the struggles on the mound began. Fletcher lost his command of the strike zone, issuing a pair of walks to load the bases with one out. The Eagles turned to Brock Culpepper (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) but the struggles continued. He walked the first three batters he faced, which plated three Newberry runs. Culpepper found his command, but Newberry made him pay, slapping a single through the left side that elevated the lead to 5-0. The Wolves scored two runs on a two-out error and it was 7-0 after three innings.
Carson-Newman walked six batters and committed two errors in the third inning. Newberry hit the ball out of the infield one time in the inning and it was a fly out.
The Eagles found some life in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sebastian Rodriguez and Jacob Rogers (Dandridge, Tenn.) singles were sandwiched between a Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) to load the bases with two outs. Ryan Bolton (Knoxville, Tenn.) delivered a much-needed two-out hit, roping a two-run single into right center field to make it a 7-2 game after four frames.
Ryan Higgins (Spotsylvania, Va.) made his first relief appearance since 2024 and was the pitching spark C-N needed. After he loaded the bases in his first relief inning, he responded by striking out the side and that set the tone for his night. The sophomore right-hander gave the Eagles four scoreless innings and matched his season-high in strikeouts with eight. The only four outs recorded by C-N's defense with Higgins on the mound were two 5-4-3 double plays.
Higgins kept C-N within striking distance but the offense failed to deliver timely hits. The Eagles stranded consecutive walks on base in the fifth inning. They drew two more walks in the seventh inning but were unable to do anything with it.
C-N's best chance late came in the eighth. Rogers doubled down the left field line and Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) drew a two-out walk to load the bases. The Eagles got the guy they wanted to the plate in that situation with Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Tenn.), but the All-SAC hitter flew out sharply to right.
The Wolves added a run in the eighth inning and that helped them finish off an 8-2 win.
C-N used seven different relief pitchers and five of them pitched in their final game for C-N. Brock Culpepper (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Eli Norris (Ringgold, Ga.), James Salicco (Waxhaw, N.C), Braxton Roberts (Sweetwater, Tenn.) and McCain Mangum (Ringgold, Ga.) all recorded at least an out in their final game with the Eagles.
Offensively, five of C-N's six hits came from seniors as well.
The loss ends Carson-Newman's 2026 season at an overall record of 31-19. The program reached the 30-win plateau in consecutive seasons for just the sixth time since 1990 and the first since 2007, 2008.
Statistically, this year's group finishes with some impressive mark, all of which include just during the program's DII era. Carson-Newman completes the season with a .970 fielding percentage, the best fielding percentage in a season for the program in its DII era. The program also concludes the year with a .426 on-base percentage, the also a best mark for the program in a season.
"30 wins is a big deal and a huge accomplishment," Griffin said. "It's a huge accomplishment when you consider the things that we needed to overcome. I don't know many clubs that could've overcame what we had to. A lot people had to step up, not only on the pitching end, but we played exceptional defense all year. We had great hitting throughout the lineup. A lot of guys played their role to the best of their ability. We are thankful and blessed for the guys we have and are looking forward to next season."
