GAFFNEY, S.C. – The Limestone College baseball team nearly overcame a late-inning meltdown – giving up 10 runs over the last two frames – with a furious ninth-inning rally, but Carson-Newman University held on for a wild 18-17 decision to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday, February 2.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Carson-Newman 18, Limestone 17
Records: Carson-Newman (3-0), Limestone (0-3)
Location: Founders FCU Stadium
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Junior outfielder Vance Deese (Norwood, N.C.) went 4-for-5 with two doubles and five RBIs
• Junior Brian Forbes (Rocky Point, N.Y.) finished 3-of-6 with a double and three RBIs
• Sophomore Benjamin Huber (Pendleton, S.C.) added a double and three RBIs
• Senior Trace Whetsell (Gilbert, S.C.) homered and drove in three RBIs
• Senior Tyler O'Dell (North Hanover, N.J.) chipped in a double and an RBI
• Graduate starter Eric Mullinax (Greenville, S.C.) struck out six over 5.2 innings
• He took a no-decision, giving up eight runs – six earned – on eight hits and three walks
• The Limestone bullpen surrendered 10 runs over 3.1 innings despite only giving up six hits
• The defense accounted for eight errors on the day – six of those coming in the last two innings
• The Saints left 16 men on base, including the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Innings 1-3
 
The Eagles greeted Mullinax with a leadoff double on the first pitch of the game, but he would work out of the early jam by retiring the next three batters quietly. Limestone then made some noise in the bottom of the first as Whetsell launched a first-pitch solo homerun over the leftfield fence for a quick 1-0 advantage.    
 
Pitching with the lead, Mullinax walked the leadoff batter in the second before Carson-Newman put two runners in scoring position with nobody out following a double down the leftfield line. He could not work his way out of trouble this time as the Eagles platted both runners to move in front, 2-1, in the early going.
 
The offense picked him up, however, as the Blue and Gold sent 11 men to the dish for a huge two-out rally in the home half of the second. With the bases loaded and two gone, Deese and Forbes laced back-to-back two-run singles back up the middle before Huber made it a 6-2 game with an RBI single to left.
 
Innings 4-6
 
Limestone extended the margin to 7-2 on a sacrifice fly by Whetsell in the third, which proved to be huge as the Eagles busted through with three runs in the fourth. Another leadoff walk followed by a base knock was the catalyst for Carson-Newman as the visitors cranked a three-run homerun to close the gap to 7-5.
 
The Saints used some more two-out magic in the fifth to push across three more tallies, doubling up the visiting Eagles, 10-5, at the midway point. Following a leadoff single by junior Ethan Danley (Mount Airy, N.C.), Deese doubled home a run before Huber laced a two-out, two-run double into the rightfield gap.
 
Carson-Newman was quick to respond with a two-out rally of its own in the top of the sixth, using a trio of soft singles and a walk to score three runs. Limestone countered with a single run in the home half, however, as Deese came up with a bases-loaded, two-out RBI infield knock to make it an 11-8 game.
 
Innings 7-9
 
The Saints continued to get clutch hits in the late stages, striking for another two-out run in bottom of the seventh. Senior Darren Prebble (Pomfret, Md.) punched a two-out single through the right side to keep the inning alive before coming all the way around to put Limestone in front, 12-8, on a double by O'Dell.
 
The wheels came completely off for the Blue and Gold in the top of the eighth as Carson-Newman loaded the bases to start the frame without a base hit. Thirteen batters, nine runs, six hits, four errors, and a three-run blast later, the Eagles pulled ahead 17-12 before adding another run on two errors in the ninth.
 
Trailing by six in the bottom of the ninth, a trio of freshmen provided a spark as Carson Cox (Spartanburg, S.C.) singled to start the inning before Andrew Alejandro (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Tanner Burns (Stanley, N.C.) worked back-to-back walks. Senior Payton Keadle (Inman, S.C.) singled home a run to keep the rally going before Whetsell reached on an RBI fielder's choice to trim the lead to 18-14 with just one out.
 
Deese followed with a sac fly, cutting the margin to 18-15, before Forbes doubled to make it a two-run game. Cox, who started the frame with a knock, forced home a run after being hit by a pitch, but the next batter would ground into a 6-4 fielder's choice to end the game with the winning run in scoring position.
 
TURNING POINT
 
The Saints enjoyed a four-run advantage and needed just six outs to post their first win of the 2020 season, but the Eagles scored in the top of the eighth without the benefit of a base hit. Things quickly snowballed for Limestone as Carson-Newman scored 10 runs on just six hits over the last two innings.
 
NOTABLES
 

• Limestone could very well be 2-1 on the season, losing the last two games of the series late
• The Saints outhit the Eagles, 36-33, in the series, but were outscored by 11 runs
• The Blue and Gold surrendered 38 runs in the three-game series for a 9.67 ERA
• Batting second and third in the lineup, Deese and Forbes combined for 14 hits, a homerun, five doubles, a triple and 11 RBIs during their first weekend in a Limestone uniform

 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints return to action on Tuesday, February 4 when they host Anderson University in a midweek nonconference matchup at Founders FCU Stadium. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.