JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Freshman Dillon Carpenter and junior William Thomas combined for nine hits and four RBI on the day, but the Anderson University baseball team fell, 11-4 and 13-9, to Carson-Newman in a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader, Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Anderson slipped to 5-17 overall and 1-7 in the league, while Carson-Newman (10-12, 2-3 SAC) claimed its first conference wins of the season and improved to 11-2 at home on the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Carson-Newman 11, Anderson 4
Junior Tyler Miller was 2-for-3 in the opener, with a pair of singles and also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch. Carpenter added a pair of singles and an RBI-triple in the ninth inning. Sophomore Carson Barrett was 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and a pair of runs scored, while senior Stephen McKnight was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI.
Senior Ryan Owens (1-4) suffered the loss after tossing five innings and surrendering five runs (three earned) on seven hits, while striking out five Eagles and issuing four free passes.
Game #2
Carson-Newman 13, Anderson 9
Thomas was a perfect 3-for-3 and scored three times, while driving in a run in the nightcap. Carpenter was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs, with sophomore Jackson Strange posting a pair of doubles. Barrett was 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in four runs, while Miller crossed the plate twice. Freshman Avery Green reached base four times and scored three times.
Senior Chris Ayers took the loss after allowing 11 earned runs on 11 hits, while striking out three and walking three in 3 1/3 innings of work on the mound.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Trojans grabbed a 1-0 lead when Barrett belted his second home run of the season with two outs and no one on in the top of the second inning, while Carson-Newman sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs in the bottom of the third frame.
McKnight slammed his second home run in as many games with one out in the top of the fifth and the Trojans added another solo run in the sixth when Barrett doubled with one out and scored on McKnight's single through the right side to trim the Carson-Newman lead to one run.
But the Eagles countered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to push back out to an 8-3 advantage, while adding three more runs in the eighth inning. Miller posted a one-out single in the final inning and crossed the plate on Carpenter's team-leading third triple of the season.
Game 2
AU opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Eagles answered by knotting the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second.
The Trojans took advantage of a pair of singles, an intentional walk and two fielder's choices to grab a 3-1 edge in the third inning, while Carson-Newman again countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued with AU pushing across four runs in the top of the fourth frame to capture a 7-5 lead, before Carson-Newman added six runs in the bottom of the inning to claim an 11-7 cushion.
Each team scored twice in the sixth inning to set the final score.
STAT OF THE DAY
The two teams combined for 54 hits on the afternoon, including 17 for extra bases.
NOTABLES
• The opener marked the first game of the season that the Trojans have clubbed two home runs in the same contest.
• William Thomas extended his hitting streak to eight games.
• The Trojans ripped a season-high five doubles in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
Anderson and Carson-Newman will wrap up their three-game set on Sunday with a doubleheader slated to get underway at noon.
