JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In a game where each team launched four home runs, Carson-Newman a run in every single inning and the two sides posted multiple runs in 12 of the 17 half innings as the Eagles secured a 20-18 victory over Limestone Wednesday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"This is kind of what happens in midweek games," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "Not a lot of people have a lot of depth in pitching. We were going to throw several guys. Typically the offenses have some good days. Fortunately we were able to outlast them. It was great to see Mr. Mark Treadway hit his first-career home run, a guy that has been in the program a long time. It was great to see our guys be able to respond when it got closer and be able to respond."
Carson-Newman (14-6) has won six straight games in the series and improves to 10-1 all-time at home against Limestone (4-16) in the highest scoring game in the 41 games of the series.
Griffin's group scored at least 20 runs in a game for the first time since March 17, 2018, a span of 94 games and 717 days. With four homers as a team, the Orange and Blue balsted its most homers since March 2, 2019 when it did so at Mars Hill, 51 games and 367 days ago.
Six different Eagles posted multi-hit days and five different players racked up at least two RBIs. Mark Treadway (Friendsville, Tenn.), Malik Kyle (Jefferson City, Tenn.). and Brendan Krob (Justice, Ill.) all tallied four runs batted in. Treadway went 3-for-4 with three runs scored to lead the way. Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) added a 3-for-5 day with two RBIs and two runs scored.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, C-N put two men on for Kyle. The left-handed hitter launched a 1-0 offering over the wall for his first homer of the season, a three-run shot. After a double and an infield single, Treadway bounced a single through the right side of the infield to put the Eagles on top 4-0 after a frame.
Limestone bounced back with three runs in the second starting with a solo homer to center field by Matt Hilderbrandt to center field with one out. The next four batters reached safely with Andrew Alejandro driving in a run with a double and a sacrifice fly to center trimming the deficit to 4-3.
The Eagles scored three times in the bottom of the second to get the lead back to four at 7-3 thanks to two ground outs and a passed ball.
In the top of the third, Limestone came back to tie the score plating four runs equalizing at seven. A two-out, two-run double from Tyler O'Dell to left field trimmed the margin to two. The next batter, Alejandro, laced a single to left-center field to bring in two and tie the game.
After a ground out gave C-N the lead back in the third, Krob blasted a three-run homer run over the left-field fence, his second long ball of the year, both against the Saints to push the margin to 11-7.
The visitors scored twice in the top of the fifth to once again make it a two-run affair only to see Thompson blast a 1-1 pitch out of the park to center field for his fourth long ball of the year to make it a 12-9 contest after five.
Carson-Newman scored two more times in the sixth on a base hit to center field by Treadway and an RBI double to right field by Gunnar Ricketts (Hixson, Tenn.) to add to the lead and make it five at 14-9 after six.
Ben Huber launched a three-run homer in the seventh to cut the deficit to two starting a strong of three straight innings with homers for the Saints.
The Eagles added four more runs in the seventh with a two-run double by Jordan Griffin (Ellerslie, Ga.) and the first-career home run from Treadway in his 165th career at-bat.
After a two-run homer from Huber in the top of the eighth, the Eagles added two more in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run single from Griffin to make it a 20-14 contest going into the ninth.
A sacrifice fly from O'Dell made it a five-run game before a three-run homer from Trace Whetsell made it a two-run game. Kilian Daughtry (Simpsonville, S.C.) came in from the bullpen and induced a fly out to center field to end the game and secure the win.
Every pitcher the Saints used allowed a run on a day dominated by offense. Huber continued a hot streak with a 4-for-5 day with six RBIs and three runs scored. O'Dell and Alejandro each drove in three runs and Whetsell went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
The Eagles open their longest road journey of the season visiting Lincoln Memorial for a three-game series starting on Friday at 6 p.m. from Harrogate.
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