ANDERSON, S.C. – Two errors in a three-run sixth inning proved to be the difference as Carson-Newman led early but came up shy Friday night at Memorial Stadium in a 7-6 setback to Anderson in South Atlantic Conference play.
"We had opportunities to open it up," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "We couldn't get the hits and unfortunately that's been the theme. With runners in scoring position, guys are striking out or popping out so we can't extend the lead. On the mound, we couldn't make big pitches or locate when we need to and that cost us tonight."
In the first inning, a two-out wild pitch pushed Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) across the plate to get the Eagles on the board before the Trojans pick up the lumber.
Anderson scored on a ground out in the second and captured its first lead of the day before Nick Vella split the gap in left-center field in the third to put the home team on top 2-1 after three innings.
Five pitches into the fourth on a 2-2 offering, Andrew Carpenter (Morristown, Tenn.) swatted his sixth home run of the season down the left-field line to level the tally at two.
Carson-Newman plated three in the fifth to open up a 5-2 edge. With two on and one out, Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) yanked a base hit inside of the third base bag ignite the rally. Three batters later with two outs, Matt Parkinson (Whitesboro, N.Y.) shoveled a two-run single through the middle of the infield.
The Trojans scored five unanswered runs over the next two innings starting with a two-run homer to left field to make it a one-run game. In the bottom of the sixth, there were two outs and a runner at third when Fox dribbled a ball underneath the pitcher's and second baseman's glove to tie the score. A failed pickoff attempt and a base hit to right completed the comeback frame to put the home unit on top 7-5.
The Orange and Blue snatched one run back in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field by Kilian Daughtry (Simpsonville, S.C.) before going down in order in the ninth.
C-N finished with 13 hits led by a 4-for-4 day from Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.). Parkinson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Daughtry tacked on a pair of pokes. On the mound, the Eagles fanned one batter while walking three giving up 11 hits.
Anderson's bullpen allowed just one run over 4 1/3 innings on the rubber giving up three hits. A quartet of hitters finished with a two-hit day as Fox with Fox going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored and Vella adding a pair of runs knocked in.
The two teams wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with the nine-inning affair.
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