JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman scored the final 17 runs of the day in a doubleheader sweep of Emory & Henry winning 15-4 and 5-0 on Saturday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex winning back-to-back games for the first time in 2023.
The Eagles have won seven in a row against teams from Virginia playing Emory & Henry (4-6) for the first time. Carson-Newman (4-6) saw its relievers hurl 6 2/3 scoreless innings posting nine strikeouts allowing three hits and one walk.
"You have to remind yourself it is early in the season," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "It is a 50-game season and it is really condensed. As coaches and players we have to remind each other to stick with the process. I thought the last week or so that our upperclassmen and the leadership on this club that we are still figuring out things. Some guys are new to the league. You are playing with guys you have never played with before. Even though you've been here since the fall, it's different in the game. Guys want to do well and put pressure on themselves. The reminder is to do your training the same way, stick with the process and be the best version of yourself."
Game One: CARSON-NEWMAN 15, Emory & Henry 4
Each of the first four Eagles to hit reached safely. Following a hit batter and a walk, James Denten (Mt. Prospect, Ill.) slapped a two-strike, two-run double into the left-center field alley to play a pair. Mitchell Balint (Avondale, Pa.) laced a base hit to center field to expand the lead to 3-0.
The Wasps grabbed one back in the top of the second behind a two-out infield single by Jared Foley to cut the margin to 3-1 but the club stranded the bases loaded.
Eight men came to the plate in the away half o the third inning. With two outs and a runner at second base, a base hit and a walk loaded the bases. The Wasps brought in a run on a walk and an infield single by Noah Mazza to tie the tally at three.
For the first time in the game, the visitors took the lead when Tyler Bradley grounded a base hit into right field. The throw to the plate beat the runner but it was bobbled allowing Mason Lyda to put the Wasps ahead 4-3.
Carson-Newman produced its biggest scoring inning of the year tallying seven runs in the sixth to open up a 10-4 lead. With one out, Denten rifled a ball to center field to plate two more runs and put the Eagles back on top. Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) shredded a run-producing hit to center field and Ryan Potts (Dandridge, Tenn.) was plunked to plate a run. Will Gibbs (Harrisburg, Ill.) brought home a pair with a single to right-center field and Trey Miller (Rocky Points, N.Y.) tallied his second double of the inning to cap the scoring with a shot to left field.
The Eagles played add on in the bottom of the ninth. After a run scored on a bases loaded walk, Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C) cranked his first-career grand slam to left field on a 1-0 pitch to push it to a 15-4 lead.
Noah Pridmore (Ootlewah, Tenn.) earned his first win of the year tossing six innings giving up eight hits, four of which were infield singles, and four earned runs with five strikeouts. Tyler Shaver (Dandridge, Tenn.) earned the save allowing on hit in the final three innings with six punch outs.
Four Eagles tallied multi-hit games with Denten going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Boze also recorded three hits and Jackson went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Miller added two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
"We wanted to play more loose," Miller said. "We have been talking about it the guys that we need to play with a little more swagger. Everyone needs to play their game and that worked today."
Of the six hurlers the Wasps used, four gave up multiple runs as Zach Clover took the loss allowing five runs, four earned in 2 1/3 innings. Mize and Noah Mazza each posted a pair of knocks.
Game Two: CARSON-NEWMAN 5, Emory & Henry 0
Balint blasted a lead-off double off of the base of the wall in right field to ignite the second inning coming in to score on a base hit past a diving third baseman by Nelson Smith (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) to open the scoring. Jackson added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 2-0.
Smith was hit by a pitch to open up the fourth inning and was at third base with two outs when Dalton McLain (Greeneville, Tenn.) bounced an infield single into the hole at shortstop to stretch the margin to 3-0.
Carson-Newman added two more to the lead in the fifth inning ballooning the edge to 5-0. Smith slapped an RBI triple to the warning track in right field before scoring on a throwing error by the shortstop that would have ended the inning.
Grif Hughes (Knoxville, Tenn.) dominated in relief with three punch outs in 2 2/3 innings on the bump before Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) fired a scoreless seventh inning.
Smith was the only Eagle to notch multiple hits going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs scored as four different players drove in at least one run.
Camden Boyer was hit with the loss in his first-career start giving up five runs, three earned over 4 2/3 innings on the bump. Jermie Greene Jr. talied two hits after having one at bat prior to the day.
The two clubs wrap up the three-game set on Sunday at 1 p.m. from the friendly confines. Air time on the Eagle Sports Network can be found on FloSports and cneagles.com/live.
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