AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Carson-Newman baseball team opened the 2011 season on Saturday afternoon with a split at Augusta State.

The Eagles (1-1) dropped the first game of the doubleheader, 1-0, before rebounding to claim the second contest, 6-2, at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

The first game was a pitcher's duel between C-N senior Austin Bridgewater (Morristown, Tenn.) and Augusta State's Joah Evans. Bridgewater (0-1) picked up the loss despite surrendering just three hits and one unearned run and striking out four batters in seven innings of work.

Evans (1-0) earned the win after working six scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and fanned four on the day.

Augusta State's Andy Onufrak drove in Caleb Saggus with a single in the bottom of the third inning for the winning run.

Senior Wesley Dozier (Cornelius, N.C.) delivered a double in the fourth inning for C-N's lone hit.

In the second contest, the Eagles drove in four runs in the fifth inning to pull away from the Jaguars (1-1).

Sophomore pitcher Ben McKinney (Johnson City, Tenn.) (1-0) earned the win after giving up two runs on six hits and striking out four in five innings on the mound. Sophomore Ryan Fillers (Greeneville, Tenn.) worked a perfect 2/3 of an inning to pick up the save.

Senior Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.) went 3-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base to lead the Eagles at the plate.

C-N got off to a strong start, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. After Aaron Vargas was hit by a pitch and Dozier doubled, Jonathan Dalton (Rutledge, Tenn.) reached on a throwing error, allowing Vargas and Dozier to score.

The Eagles put the game away with a four-run fifth inning. Troy Zawadzki (Shrewsbury, Mass.) drove in Dozier with on a squeeze play, and senior Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.) had a RBI single in the inning.

C-N and Augusta state will wrap up the series on Sunday with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at Lake Olmstead Stadium.