VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview
DAHLONEGA, Ga.— North Georgia utilized 16 hits and a pair of home runs from Conner Corbitt to knock around Carson-Newman's pitching staff Saturday afternoon as the Nighthawks took down the Eagles 13-4 to secure the season-opening series-win.
The home team tallied 13 runs of 16 hits and scored in every inning but the fourth and the seventh. C-N, on the other hand, pushed runs across home plate in the fourth and seventh frames, but could not quite slow down a high-powered North Georgia (2-0) offense on the day.
"The issue is with our command right now," C-N skipper Tom Griffin said following the loss. "No pitchers can survive without command and it's been an issue that we knew about. Right now, we just have to get better at that because the command part is a huge issue."
The Eagles (0-2) got off to a good start in the first inning, tallying two hits the frame but ended up stranding Trevor Lee (Garner, N.C.) on third base.
Following a Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) strike out to begin the contest, Lee doubled down the right field line. Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners with one out. However, Snapp was picked off by Steven Bowers two pitches later and then the southpaw ended the threat by sitting down Paul Kirby (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) on strikes.
North Georgia made good of their fortunes in the bottom of the frame as the Nighthawks tallied two runs off three hits. Back-to-back RBI singles from Trevor Sams and Michael Bell drove in a pair of runs to jump out in front first.
Anthony Carco walked a batter later to load the bases for North Georgia with Connor Corbitt coming to the plate which led to C-N starter Grant Rabbitts (Johnson City, Tenn.) exiting the game in favor of Greg Valentine (Knoxville, Tenn.). The right-hander came in and tallied consecutive strikeouts to end the inning and escape a bases-loaded jam.
The Nighthawks were at it again in the bottom of the second inning as Devin Gearhart doubled in Andres Perez who led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Sams drove in another with an RBI double while Bell grounded in Perez to put two more runs on the board for the home team.
After two inning, North Georgia led Carson-Newman 5-0.
Conner Corbitt led off the bottom of the inning that followed with a solo home run to center field to tally another run on the board for the Nighthawks. With runners on the corners and one outs, Hoover followed with a double to drive in a pair and then advanced to third base on the throw to home plate.
Gouge stepped to the plate and drove in Hoover from third to bring in another run for the Nighthawks as the home team led the Eagles 9-0 after three innings.
Carson-Newman's most promising complete inning of the day came in the fourth as the Eagles tacked on two runs following a Jimmy Rice (Middlesex, N.J.) double down the left field line. The drive plated both Kirby and Snapp, who reached base prior, as the hit cut the Nighthawk deficit to just seven runs at 9-2.
The bottom of the frame was one of two, one-two-three innings on the day for C-N defensively as Ryan Victory (Brentwood, Tenn.) sat down UNG in order.
North Georgia picked up three more runs in innings five and six with run-scoring hits from Perez and Corbitt while Sams drove a teammate in via a sacrifice fly to right field.
Carson-Newman added some additional offense in the top of the seventh inning with a pair of solo home runs from Jordan Hinshaw (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Addington to bring the contest to a 12-4 score for the Nighthawks.
Hinshaw, who pinched hit for Joe Selitto (Newton, N.J.), drove a long ball over the right field wall while Addington's tater left the deepest part of the ballpark in center field. The former's long ball was the first of his C-N career while the latter's was his fourth as an Eagle.
"The way our culture is, we expect to keep battling," Griffin said. "If we stop that, then it's a problem. It's great to see Hinshaw seeing the ball well. He is such a quality man, a senior, who works really hard. Really happy to see a home run from him."
North Georgia hung one more number on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning when Corbitt drilled his second home run of the day over the right-center field fence.
Picking up the win in a solid 5.3 inning of work was Steven Bower (1-0) for the Nighthawks as the left-handed hurler surrendered two runs off eight hits with six strikeouts in his first start of the season. Following Bower, Josh Bryan and Logan Burt combined to pitch the final 3.2 innings on the bump.
Rabbitts (0-1) was charged with the loss after recording only one out in the start. The sophomore surrendered two runs off three hits while also walking a pair. Following the starter, C-N sent six more hurlers to the mound as the bullpen yielded a combined 7.2 innings of 11-run baseball with six punch outs and four walks.
The Eagles out of the pen in succession were Valentine, Victory, Jonathan Jacks (Fayetteville, Tenn.), Jordan Davis (Maryville, Tenn.), Austin Conner (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Hunter Dodson (Huntersville, N.C.).
Four different Nighthawks tallied three hits on the day as Sams led the way with three runs batted in. Corbitt belted home runs No. 1 and 2 on the year Saturday afternoon while Gearhart, Hoover, Michael Gouge, Bell and Perez each drove in at least one run.
Aside from the solo shots from Hinshaw and Addington in the seventh, Rice was the only other C-N ballplayer to drive in runs as the short stop's two-run double put the Eagles on the board for the first time in the top of the fourth inning. Kirby also had a day at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits.
"The first three innings offensive were atrocious offensively. They had a good pitcher and he did well today," Griffin said. "We did not have a good mindset at the plate during those innings. As the game went on, the at-bats got better as we had better approaches. We were more aggressive and didn't stand in there playing defense."
Carson-Newman will conclude the three-game series at North Georgia Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. Eric Cain and Mar Inserra will be on the call starting at 12:45 p.m. with the AEC Countdown to First Pitch.
