NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Vince Apicella (Dillsburg, Pa.) matched a single season school record with his sixth complete game of the season in a 4-0 Carson-Newman (25-21) victory over the Trevecca Nazerene Trojans (30-16) Tuesday evening at Jackson Field to tie a bow on the 2015 season for the Eagles. Since joining Division II in 1994, only Ben Deaton in 1998 and Brett Hontz in 2008 have tallied six complete games in a single season.
Apicella struck out at least 10 for the seventh time this season punching out 10 during a six-hit shutout while yielding just two walks.
Carson-Newman finishes with a winning record for the first time since 2012 (28-26) while finishing at least four games over .500 for the first time since 2010 (31-18).
"Our seniors all had a good day today," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "Going out on a winning note. They played the game well. Vince Apicella, I think that tied a complete game record for the season. That says a lot because of how many outstanding pitchers have been in this program. We are fortunate we had the opportunity to come play a great opponent. That's an outstanding team with good people and great competition."
Carson-Newman had just one hit heading into the top of the fifth inning as senior shortstop Bryan Everhart (Greeneville, Tenn.) singled through the left side of the infield to begin the frame. On the next pitch, sophomore catcher Greg Jones (Maryville, Tenn.) blasted his fourth home run of the season, a long blast over the rightfield fence to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the seventh stanza, junior rightfielder Mitch Trzeciak (Charlotte, Mich.) smacked a single passed diving shortstop Clayton Nichols to plate senior leftfielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and extend the visiting team's lead to 3-0.
Apicella had to deal with one major jam in the contest coming in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Trojans had runners at second and third base with two outs and centerfielder Ethan Hurt at the plate. On a 1-2 pitch, Hurt grounded out to Evarhart at shortstop to end the threat.
The Eagles added to their lead in the top of the ninth inning when senior centerfielder Joe Tipton (Dandridge, Tenn.) lined a single to leftfield with one out to plate redshirt freshman outfielder Patton Grooms (Whitwell, Tenn.) and push the advantage to 4-0.
With a double to right-centerfield with one out in the top of the eighth, senior first basemen Evan Jurjevic (New Carlisle, Ind.) capped his final run through Mossy Creek by reaching base safely for the 43rd straight game. The only game this year that Jurjevic failed to reach base was on February 7 in a 1-0 win over Catawba.
Everhart had his 13th multi-hit game of the season going 2-for-4 with a run scored while Jones had his fourth multi-hit game this year going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Apicella struck out every man in the Trevecca Nazerene lineup with the exception of All-American candidate Hunter Newman who entered the game ranked third in the nation with a .495 batting average.
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