SALISBURY, N.C. – Micah Genter, Tyler Thompson and Harrison Travis each drove in three runs in a doubleheader split at seventh-ranked Catawba Saturday from Newman Park with Carson-Newman winning game one 10-6 before dropping the second affair 11-4 in the South Altantic Conference opener.
"In game one we did a really great job offensively," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "Matt Bradley was still able to stay in the game and keep us within reach despite the five spot he gave up which was huge for us. Offensively we did a really good job.
"Coe gave us a really good start in game. We had a couple mental mistakes and it didn't help the flow of the game and got us in a hole. We did a good job against Shepherd all day but he's too good of a player to hold him in check all day and he had a big hit that changed the game. Overall the guys had great attitudes, great energy and we are looking forward to competing tomorrow."
Carson-Newman (6-3, 1-1) won its seventh SAC opener in its last nine tries while snapping a six-game losing skid to Catawba (5-3, 4-2). The Indians had won 14 of the last 17. The win in game one was the first time the Eagles had beaten the Indians in the regular season since a 4-3 triumph against the 15th-ranked unit on March 31, 2012.
Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) paced the Eagles offensively with a 4-for-7 line, a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored. Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) and Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) each added three RBIs the latter pounding out four hits.
Ten of the 17 runs allowed by Carson-Newman's pitching staff were unearned as the unit fanned 15 in 15 frames holding Catawba to a .262 batting average against.
Game One: CARSON-NEWMAN 10, No. 7 Catawba 6
After the teams combined for one total hit, Catawba exploded for five in the third after an error by the Eagles set the stage. An infield single on a dribbler back up the middle with two outs by Jeremy Simpson started the scoring a runner from third and loading the bases. Cameron Morrison launched a grand slam over the wall in left field to put the Eagles in a 5-0 hole.
Griffin's group started their comeback bid in the fourth with Genter dumping a base hit to left field to get a run in as another scored on a booted ball in left making it a 5-2 game.
In the fifth with one out and one man on base, Travis blasted a two-run homer over the wall in left-center field for his first-career long ball in career at bat No. 34.
Carson-Newman took its first lead of the day in the sixth behind a two-run homer from Thompson that cleared the wall in left field and put the visitors on top 6-5.
It was short lived as Zack Miller homered to left field with one out in the bottom of the sixth knotting the tally at six.
The Eagles seized control in the top of the sixth with seven straight hits after the first man was retired. Genter looped a knock into right field to plate a pair and Thompson singled back up the box to get Genter in before Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) ended the spurt with a liner to left-center and give the club a 10-6 advantage.
Tyler Shaver (Dandridge, Tenn.) hit the first batter he faced in the seventh before getting a pop up and fanning the No. 2 and No. 3 batters in the lineup to seal the win.
Thompson posted a 3-for-5 day with three RBIs and two runs scored as one of five Eagles to tally a multi-hit day. C-N outhit Catawba 14-5 on the day. Genter went 2-for-4 with his second-career three-RBI day. Travis produced his first-career multi-hit and multi-RBI day with a 2-for-4 day, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Matt Bradley (Talbott, Tenn.) picked up the third win of his career against a top 10 club going six innings with one earned run allowed on five hits and one walk with six punch outs.
The five hits by the Indians came from five different players while the bullpen combined to surrender 10 hits and eight runs with just two punch outs.
Game Two: No. 7 CATAWBA 11, Carson-Newman 4
The Indians jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on Miller's second blast of the day, a solo shot to start the frame to left field.
C-N snapped back in the top of the third with a pair to take a 2-1 lead. Boze singled to left to score Genter before Thompson scored on a sacrifice fly by Travis.
The lead stood for three innings before Catawba scored 10 unanswered runs starting with one in the sixth on a Miller base knock. Hunter Shepherd blasted a three-run homer in the seventh after the first two men reached in the inning to balloon the bulge to 5-2.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Indians put the game out of reach with six runs. After the first man was retired, seven of the next eight men reached safely. After a base hit and fielding error brought in runs, Jeremy Simpson and Morrison hit back-to-back roundtrippers with Simpson being a three-run shot.
The Eagles tacked on a pair in the top of the ninth inning when Matt Parkinson launched a two-run homer to left field to get the Eagles within seven at 11-4.
Brayden Coe (Bridgeville, Pa.) allowed two earned runs over five innings punching out three but did not get a decision in the game.
Travis was the only player with multiple hits going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored as the Eagles were outhit 11-5 on the day.
Three Indians posted multi-hit days went Shepherd going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Simpson had a pair of hits and three RBIs and Miller tallied two knocks driving in a pair.
Greg Brown earned the win going eight innings striking out seven scattering four hits and two walks to earn his first win of the year.
The two programs conclude the series on Sunday with games slated to start at 1 p.m. with the seven-inning affair before wrapping up the night 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first contest.
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