CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Lee University Flames scored six runs over the last four innings, including three in the ninth, for a 7-6 comeback victory over the Carson-Newman Eagles Thursday afternoon at Olympic Field.
The Eagles cranked out 14 hits with, but the C-N bullpen issued seven walks to Lee over the last two innings of play.
Carson-Newman starting pitcher Logan Shaftner (Lexington, Ky.) tied a career-high by pitching 6.1 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits and struck out four in the no-decision.
"Our pitchers did not do a very good job as far as being in the strike zone, falling behind. There were too many (walks) late in the game. The innings just got a little bit-increased right there. Not a good job of shutting the door down," coach Tom Griffin said. "We had opportunities early in the game to extend some leads. I thought we swung the bat better. The longer they stayed around and we gave them some freebies, we gave them a chance."
Lee struck first in the bottom of the second. First baseman Ben Holland drove a pitch high off the wall in left centerfield that centerfielder Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) could not catch up to went for a one-out triple. The Flames' next batter up was catcher Nathan Wierzgac who singled up the middle to give Lee a 1-0 lead.
Carson-Newman responded in the top of the third. Addington led off with his second single of the afternoon. Second baseman Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Addington to second for leftfielder Bo Aumus (Jefferson City, Tenn.). The senior outfielder pushed a single through the right side of the infield to score Addington and tie the game at 1-1.
In the top of the third, the Eagles loaded the bases with no outs. Catcher Greg Jones (Maryville, Tenn.) doubled to left center to lead off the inning. Rightfielder Cody Fox (Seymour, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch and third baseman Brandon Roberts (Davie, Fla.) singled to load the bases. Addington grounded into a double play but it allowed Jones to score from third to give Carson-Newman the 2-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Eagles struck again. Ausmus led off with a single up the middle. Senior first baseman Evan Jurjevic (New Carlisle, Ind.) doubled to left center that allowed Ausmus to score from first, but Jurjevic was thrown trying to stretch his hit into a triple. C-N led Lee 3-1 through five.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lee leftfielder Chris Adams singled down the right field line with two outs. As Adams tried to advance to second, Fox fired to shortstop Bryan Everhart (Greeneville, Tenn.) who tagged Adams for the final out and retire the side.
Jones came to bat to lead the Carson-Newman half of the sixth inning. With a 0-1 count, the sophomore catcher drove a pitch that cleared the right field fence by 25 feet for a no-doubt home run to extend the Eagles' lead to 4-1. Fox struck out for the first out of the inning. Following Fox, Roberts and Addington singled to put runners on first and second, but a Lynch grounder that the Flames turned for a double play erased the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Lee shortstop Andres Nelo sent a Shaftner pitch over the wall in right to cut the Eagles' lead to 4-2.
Ausmus was hit by a pitch to lead of the top of the seventh and Jurjevic followed with a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout and a pop up, Jones stepped to the plate with two outs. He tripled off the wall in front of the right field scoreboard to plate two more RBIs and extend the C-N lead to 6-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lee led off with a hit batter and a double to places two runners in scoring position and no outs. Wiergac hit a sac fly to right field to cut the lead to 6-3. Shaftner walked the next batter he faced to put runners on first and second. Carson-Newman relief pitcher Justin Evans (Salisbury, N.C.) was called on to pitch. Evans retired the lone Flame he faced and the Eagles went to the bullpen for senior Michael Cogliano (Medford, N.J.). Cogliano walked his two batters, including one that scored a run. C-N turned to senior Carson Bryant (Denver, N.C.). Bryant got a fly-out from third baseman MJ Brown to end the threat.
Ausmus led off the top of the ninth to left centerfield. Jurjevic followed up with a single and he then advanced to second on the throw to the plate that stopped Ausmus at third. Two strikeouts and a pop out ended Carson-Newman's chance to score insurance runs.
In the bottom of the ninth, Lee's leadoff hitter Chris Adams reached on a four-pitch walk. The next batter grounded into a fielder's choice to Everhart at short that advanced Adams to second. A walk issued to Nelo put runners on first and second with one out. A line drive hit by Brown that hit off the glove of Jurjevic rolled into the right field fly terrority allowed Adams to score from second. A walk loaded the bases. After a pop out put two outs on the board, a walk issued to Holland tied the game at 6-6. Wierzgac was the next batter up and he worked the count full at 3-2; on the 3-2 pitch, he laced a grounder to Everhart at short who misplayed it. The error on Everhart allowed the runner from third to score and give Lee the 7-6 walk-off win.
For the Eagles, Jones, Addington, Ausmus and Jurjevic all tallied three hits. Roberts tacked on two more hits.
Jones recorded a game-high three RBIs and was a single shy of hitting for the cycle.
"Good job. He got the head of the barrel out, hit the ball hard to all fields. He did a really good job. It was good to see him do that," Griffin said of Jones's day. "Bo Ausmus had a nice day, I thought. There were some good at-bats. There were some quality at-bats."
The Eagles return to the diamond this weekend as they travel to Mars Hill for a South Atlantic Conference series. The first game of the series has been moved to Saturday with a doubleheader that has a first pitch scheduled for noon. Game three of the series has been moved to Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
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