JEFFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Ryan Addington delivered a walk-off double to left field in a 3-2 win in game one victory for Carson-Newman while Northwood's pitching staff struck out 12 in a 6-0 victory in game two of a twin-bill at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex Friday afternoon.
"We have to find a way," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "After all of the stuff we have done all fall about competing and every pitch is a battle, we didn't get that today. That happens. It's early in the year. It was discouraging to see that because it's what you train for. To not get that it's the frustrating part of coaching. I know they are frustrated but somehow you have to ignite some passion and enthusiasm."
Game No. 1 – Carson-Newman 3, Northwood 2
Northwood starter Larry Wood struck out the first four batters he faced and retired the first five. Wood was ahead at 1-2 with two outs on sophomore left fielder Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) when Snapp launched his second home run of the year well over the left-field fence to put Carson-Newman ahead 1-0 in the second.
The Eagles tacked on a run in the bottom of the third as back-to-back singles by junior second basemen Joey Selitto (Newton, N.J.) and senior third basemen Brandon Roberts (Davie, Fla.) put men at first and second base. After a fly out, the runners were on the move and junior designated hitter Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) bounced a ball past the second basemen and into right field to make it a 2-0 contest.
The Timberwolves tied the score in the top of the fourth inning. Connor Foley singled to center field and Cody Kuzniczci laced a doubled off of the wall in right field to start the frame. A sacrifice fly scored one run and Tanner McCarn laced a single into left field to tie the score at two.
Pinch-hitter Austin Kearney (Powell, Tenn.) started the seventh inning with a single to left field. Junior Zach Gentry (Pleasant View, Tenn.) pinch ran and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a fly out, junior center fielder Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) laced a ball over drawn-in left fielder Nick Barrientos for a game-winning double to score Gentry and lift the Eagles to a 3-2 win.
The victory is the second-straight walk-off win for the Eagles and the first walk-off hit notched by a C-N player since April 3, 2015 when Evan Jurjevic hit a walk-off double against Winston-Salem State.
Freshman right-hander Greg Valentine (Knoxville, Tenn.) stranded the bases loaded in the fifth inning and retired all eight batters that he faced with two strikeouts to earn his first-career win to improve to 1-1.
Matt Stojkov (1-1) took the loss out of the bullpen giving up two hits in two innings of work.
Roberts tallied his third multi-hit game of the year going 2-for-4 on the day as six C-N players notched a hit on the day.
Game No. 2 – Northwood 6, Carson-Newman 0
After a strikeout in the top of the first inning, Carson-Newman starting pitcher Ryan Eberle (Cookeville, Tenn.) walked a batter and gave up a single. The clean-up batter, Kuzniczci, launched the first pitch of his at-bat over the left-field wall to make it a 3-0 Northwood lead.
The first two batters were retired in the top of the second inning before Nick Barrientos singled and advanced to second base on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit to center field by Dustin Lee to push the edge to 4-0.
Nick Barrientos walked to begin the eighth inning and after a sacrifice bunt and a single was on third base. Connor Foley laced a one-hop double off of the left-field fence to add a run and put Northwood ahead 5-0.
The Timberwolves added a run in the top of the ninth inning as Daniel Pulver doubled to start the frame and scored on a wild pitch with two outs to make it a 6-0 contest.
It marks the first time that Carson-Newman was shut out since April 18, 2014 at Catawba when the Indians won 6-0 and the first time the Eagles were blanked at home since April 12, 2014, 4-0 against Wingate.
Junior infielder Trever Lee was the lone Eagle with a multi-hit day going 2-for-4 in the game as the Eagles left nine men on base.
Foley went 3-for-5 as the top three in the Timberwolves' lineup went 7-for-14 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Northwood starter Alex Lewandowski (1-0) worked six-shutout innings giving up three hits, three walks and a hit batter with eight strikeouts and stranded the bases loaded in his final inning of work.
The two teams are slated to play a doubleheader Saturday afternoon beginning with a seven-inning game at noon and a nine-inning contest 30 minutes after the final out. The Eagle Sports Network will provide broadcast coverage with video and audio beginning 10 minutes prior to the first pitch.
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