VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker handed Carson-Newman its first series loss of the year as the freshman phenom Kolton Casson improved to a perfect 10-0 in his collegiate career.

No. 13/7 Carson-Newman (27-11, 16-5 South Atlantic Conference) split its doubleheader with Coker (22-16, 11-10 SAC) as the Cobras were able to hand C-N its first series loss of the season.

Coker took game one of the doubleheader in walk-off fashion with a walk-off walk from Hunter Poole marking the second time in as many games Poole's plate appearance spelled doom for the Eagles in a 3-2 loss for Carson-Newman.

The Eagles battled back avoiding the sweep under another stellar start from freshman starting pitcher Kolton Casson (Benton, Tenn.).

"We feel like, personally, we're not playing out best baseball right now and we're sitting there and two walk-offs happen to us, it's not bad," Carson-Newman baseball head coach Tom Griffin said. "But the fact that we're not playing well, and we're still right there with a chance to win games, was good."

Game One: Coker 3, Carson-Newman 2

A pitcher's duel through the first three frames saw Coker and Carson-Newman only muster three hits between both teams. It was Coker to finally break through in the fourth when Jaylin Mack hit a solo home run over the leftfield wall for just the fifth home run Coker has hit as a team in the 2025 season.

The Eagles didn't let the lead for the Cobras last long scoring a run on a chaotic sequence in the fifth as Ryan Jenkins (Winter Haven, Fla.) hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded with Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) breaking for home from third, and Ryan Bolton (Knoxville, Tenn.) at second feigning for third.

Nathan was able to score mere seconds before the throw came in from centerfield and the Coker second basemen tagged out Bolton to complete the two-out, run-scoring sequence.

The Cobras reclaimed the lead in the sixth with a bases-loaded run-scoring double play to take a 2-1 lead where the game remained until the ninth.

C-N came out in the ninth inning with Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) getting aboard with a single to lead off the inning. After Nathan hit a sacrifice bunt, and Bolton grounded out the Eagles had Gibson at third with two outs. In a pinch-hit appearance from Braxton Smith (Cleveland, Tenn.) the Eagles found a run with an RBI single into centerfield.

However, the bottom of the ninth is where the Cobras shined for the second straight game. With the bases loaded and just one out, it set up a storybook plate appearance for Henry Poole who delivered the walk-off single on Friday night. Fighting through a full count against Blake Cooper (Maryville, Tenn.), Poole was able to work a walk on the pay off pitch for the walk-off walk.

It's the first time the Eagles have been walked off on a walk since March of 2022 in another 3-2 decision against Lincoln Memorial in Harrogate.

Starting pitcher Jackson Underwood (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) delivered five innings of work allowing just a single run on three hits. Bransel Angel (Lutz, Fla.) took the loss allowing the game-winning run to initially reach base safely in the ninth.

The Eagles out-hit the Cobras 10-7 in the contest, leaving seven runners on base.

Game Two: Carson-Newman 5, Coker 1

The Eagles turned the ball to the seven-inning starter in the freshman phenom and reigning TSWA Pitcher of the Week Kolton Casson who came into the contest with a 9-0 record.

Carson-Newman gave its starter early run support in the top of the first with Jenkins getting aboard with a leadoff single, and following a sacrifice bunt scored on an RBI single from Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) to take a 1-0 lead.

Coker tied the game in the third with an RBI single from Kyler Odom, but the Eagles didn't keep the game tied for long scoring two more in the top of the fourth with a run-scoring reach on error from Trey Miller (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and RBI single from Jenkins.

After a couple of stagnant innings, the Eagles plated two more insurance runs in the seventh with an RBI single from Nathan and an RBI double from Smith.

With the Cobras down to their final three outs, where they had excelled in the previous two games, it was Casson who slammed the door securing the complete game striking out Ick Cirino for the final out.

Casson secured the win to improve to 10-0 in a complete game victory tossing seven innings only allowing one run on four hits. He struck out five, only allowing one walk. Coker starter Cody Chapman took the loss, falling to 2-6 on the season. He allowed six hits and three runs in 3.2 innings pitched.

Carson-Newman returns to action for a non-conference road contest at UVA Wise on Tuesday, April 8 with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. Coverage is available via a free audio-only livestream courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network on cneagles.com/live.

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