JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Eagles (15-15, 9-13 South Atlantic Conference) played their longest game of the season at three hours and 29 minutes falling to the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (21-13, 9-10 SAC) Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"I think it says a lot about character and the kids' competitiveness that they kept battling," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "It's all you can ask for as a coach. Are they still grinding? Are they still fighting? No question they did. Earlier in the game we had some opportunities. I know we got eight runs, but at the same time we left a lot of runners on with two outs and not getting that big hit like they did."
Lenoir-Rhyne erupted out of the gates with a run on three hits in the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, catcher Colby Dishmond bounced the first pitch he saw into rightfield to put the Bears ahead 1-0. Carson-Newman starting pitcher Quinton Yocom (Cable, Ohio) struck out David Newcomer looking to end the threat.
Sophomore catcher Greg Jones (Maryville, Tenn.) led off the bottom of the second inning with his third home run of the year on a 0-1 pitch, a laser over the rightfield fence to tie the score. With one out in the frame, sophomore rightfielder Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) singled to centerfield to plate freshman designated hitter Joe Rotelli (Morganville, N.J.) and give the Eagles their first lead. A throwing error by Dishmond allowed sophomore second basemen Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) to score on a stolen base attempt at third to extend the lead to 3-1.
Dishmond once again delivered a two-out RBI single into centerfield in the top of the third inning to pull the Bears within a run at 3-2.
A two-out single back up the middle from Ryan Perkins on a 1-0 pitch tied the score at three in the top of the fourth frame.
Yocom had retired six in a row before allowing a two-out single in the top of the sixth inning to Brantley Rumford. On a 1-1 pitch, Matthew De La Rosa launched his fourth home run of the season over the fence in right-centerfield to give Lenoir-Rhyne a 5-3 advantage.
The Eagles were able to get a run back in the bottom of the sixth stanza as Rotelli blasted the first pitch he saw with one out over the wall in right-centerfield to make it a 5-4 contest.
The Bears added a run to their lead as De La Rosa doubled to the gap in leftfield to plate Rumford from first base to make it a 6-4 game in the top of the eighth inning.
Carson-Newman tied the score in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of runs. Lynch double to left-centerfield with one out and scored on a single to rightfield by Addington. With a 1-2 count on senior leftfielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.), Addington stole third and scored on the second throwing error of the game by Dishmond to tie the score at six.
Lenoir-Rhyne sent eight men to the plate in a three-run ninth inning. Marcus Shoemaker laced a double to the rightfield fence to plate a pair and came in to score on a double to leftfield by Josh Murphy to put the visiting group ahead 9-6.
The home group was not quite done as senior first basemen Evan Jurjevic (New Carlisle, Ind.) lined a double to wall in centerfield to start the bottom of the ninth. After senior shortstop Bryan Everhart (Greeneville, Tenn.) walked, Lynch doubled down the rightfield line to score two runs and make it a one-run game. Addington flew out to shallow left-centerfield to end the game as the Eagles fell to 4-8 in one-run contests.
"We have enough upperclassmen," Griffin said. "They know what to do and how to react. We have given them complete ownership of the club and I think they've handled that very. Only they can figure it out."
Yocom struck out at least 10 for the fourth time this year going 7.1 innings while yielding six runs, five earned on 12 hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts while throwing 147 pitches.
Lynch had his sixth multi-hit game of the year and his first three-hit effort by going 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Lenoir-Rhyne starter, Thomas St. Clair, went six innings allowing four runs, two earned on five hits, four walks and 10 strikeouts.
De La Rosa and Vietiez each had three hits with De La Rosa going 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.
The series concludes Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon from the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. Both games are available by visiting cneagles.com/live with a live video and audio stream courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network.
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