Josh Evans
Graduate Josh Evans went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a double in Thursday's season-opening win over Carson-Newman.
3
Carson-Newman C-N 0-1
4
Winner Limestone LU 1-0
Carson-Newman C-N
0-1
3
Final
4
Limestone LU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Carson-Newman C-N 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 2
Limestone LU 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 X 4 9 0

W: Greider, Justin (1-0) L: Mason Mooney (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Ernest Meyers, Assistant A.D. for Media Relations

Limestone Scores Twice in the Eighth to Complete Opening-Day Rally

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Graduate centerfielder Josh Evans (Indian Land, S.C.) went 3-for-4 at the dish and scored the tying run before senior pinch hitter Tyler O'Dell (North Hanover, N.J.) delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth as the Limestone University baseball team rallied for a 4-3 opening-day win against Carson-Newman University on Thursday, February 4 at Founders FCU Stadium.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 4, Carson-Newman 3
Records: Limestone (1-0), Carson-Newman (0-1)
Location: Founders FCU Stadium
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 
  • Evans finished with a double, an RBI and the game-tying run
  • Sophomore Ryan Farkas (Huntersville, N.C.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI
  • Freshman Kyle Raynor (Fort Mill, S.C.) doubled and walked in his collegiate debut
  • Senior Alex Cornell (Columbia, Conn.) singled and walked to go with a defensive gem
  • Graduate Trace Whetsell (Gilbert, S.C.) went hitless but registered an RBI
  • Senior starter Jordan Adcox (Lawrenceville, Ga.) went seven strong innings, allowing three runs on five hits while adding four strikeouts
  • Senior reliever Justin Greider (Ridgeway, S.C.) tossed two scoreless innings to pick up the win
  • Limestone outhit the Eagles 9-6 for the game, but was the victim of 13 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Innings 1-3
 
Adcox got off to a quick start, needing just five pitches to get through the first inning before leaving a two-out walk stranded in the top of the second. For the Saints on offense, the first four batters struck out before Cornell and Farkas registered back-to-back one-out base knocks in the home half of the second.
 
Limestone left both runners in scoring position as the next two batters were retired quietly, and Carson-Newman quickly took advantage by pushing across three runs in the third. After the first two reached to start the frame, the Eagles moved ahead behind a one-out single before making it 3-0 a few batters later.
 
Innings 4-6
 
Senior Brian Forbes (Rocky Point, N.Y.)  singled sharply to start the bottom of the fourth, but Limestone was unable to move him over as the Eagles maintained a 3-0 edge. Adcox was dealing in the middle innings, retiring 10 straight at one point, and getting help from his defense as a spectacular diving catch by Cornell in leftfield ended the fifth. The Saints would then turn defense into offense in the home half.
 
Raynor sent a double over the rightfielder's head for his first career hit before an error on a sacrifice bunt by senior Ethan Danley (Mount Airy, N.C.) put runners on the corners with nobody out. Whetsell followed with an RBI fielder's choice before Evans trimmed Limestone's deficit to 3-2 with a booming RBI double.
 
Innings 7-9
 
Adcox worked around a two-out walk with a big strikeout to close his night in the seventh before Greider came on to sit Carson-Newman down in order in the eighth. The Saints looked like they might let a huge opportunity slip by in the bottom of the frame, but Cornell worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive.
 
Evans singled following a long battle at the plate to start the eighth, but two quick outs seemed to take the steam out of the rally. However, after Cornell's walk put runners on the corners, Farkas tied the game with an RBI base knock before O'Dell came through with a pinch-hit, RBI single to right-centerfield. With a 4-3 cushion, Greider took care of business in the ninth, working around a two-out double to preserve the win.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Limestone missed on some opportunities early in the game, namely in the fifth after scoring a pair of runs to cut the margin to 3-2. However, the Saints held the line defensively in the middle and late innings, before using a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth to push across both the tying and go-ahead runs.  
 
NOTABLES
 
  • Head Coach Chris Wiley recorded his 100th win at the helm of the Limestone baseball program
  • Limestone won on opening day for the first time since 2018 and only the second time since 2015
  • Forbes extended his hitting streak to five straight games dating back to a shortened 2020 season
  • O'Dell has now reached base in 12 consecutive contests
  • Adcox pitched for the first time since a playoff appearance on April 24, 2019
  • It was his first start since April 6, 2019
  • The Saints snapped a seven-game skid against the Eagles dating back to the 2019 campaign
  • It was the fourth straight year that Limestone and Carson-Newman opened the year
  • Although both teams are members of the South Atlantic Conference, the three-game series will count as nonconference contests
 
UP NEXT
 
Limestone and Carson-Newman will wrap up the first series of the 2021 season with a doubleheader at Founders FCU Stadium on Friday, February 5. First pitch of game one is set for a 3 p.m. start.
 
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