SALISBURY, N.C. – Carson-Newman committed a season-high four errors as Catawba capitalized on the extra outs to pick up a 10-7 victory in the first game of the 2017 South Atlantic Conference schedule for each school Friday night at Newman Park.
Catawba (8-3, 1-0) snaps a five-game winning streak for Carson-Newman (6-7, 0-1) in SAC openers with the last loss in a league cork popper for the Eagles coming on Feb. 18, 2011 in a 3-2 11-inning loss at Newberry.
Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) hit a home run on a 1-1 pitch over the right-center field fence to get the offense rolling. The leadoff rountripper was the first by C-N since Joe Tipton clubbed the first pitch of an April 17, 2015 game at Wingate. Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) slapped a single into left field and Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) roped a single into left. After a fly out to right field, Greg Jones (Maryville, Tenn.) slashed a single into left-center field to score Lynch and make it a 2-0 lead for the Eagles before the Indians stepped to the dish.
Carson-Newman tacked on a run in the top of the second to push the lead to three. Jimmy Rice (Middlesex, N.J.) singled to left field and Brett Langhorne (Mechiancsville, Va.) walked. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position. Addington flew out to right field for the second out. Lynch punched a single into right to score Rice.
Catawba captured the lead in the bottom of the third inning plating four runs to go ahead 4-3. There were two outs with a runner at second base when Zach Almond sent a base hit into left field to put the Indians on the scoreboard. Nick Coble drew a walk. Chance Bowden stepped in and drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence in straightaway center field for a three-run home run.
Paul Kirby (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) reached base on a base that hit Lynch running the bases. Kirby stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game at four on a wild pitch on a 3-1 offering to Jones.
A pair of errors by the Eagles helped Catawba plate a pair in the bottom of the fifth inning to regain the lead at 6-4. With two men on base and one out, Kyle Smith laced a single into right to bring home Luke Setzer. Three batters later with two outs, Smith was attempting a steal of third when a throw by catcher Gooch Greer (Dickson, Tenn.) was high going into left field to allow Smith to scamper home.
Bryce Fowler ignited a two-run sixth stanza for the Indians with a bunt single down the third base line to begin the frame. After a strikeout, Smith looped a ball down the right-field line just out of the reach of a diving Trever Lee (Garner, N.C.) to score Fowler and speed to third base with a triple. A wild pitch to the backstop scored Smith to make it 8-4.
A clutch three-run home run to deep right field from Jones made it a one-run contest at 8-7 in the top of the seventh inning. Addington was hit by a pitch and Lynch lined a single to right field to start the inning. A slow-rolling ground out to first and a strikeout brought Jones to the plate with two outs and two on. The senior foul tipped a 1-2 pitch before cranking his fourth bomb of the year.
Catawba loaded the bases on two walks sandwiched around a double with no one out in the bottom of the seventh. Mo Foster (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) came out of the bullpen induced a double play and struck out Jackson Raper to yield just one run and limit the damage.
A Zach Almond double off of the right-field wall plated an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to close the scoring at 10-7.
Lynch tallied his first career four-hit night going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a run driven in. Jones ended the day by going 2-for-4 with four runs knocked in, his sixth multi-RBI effort of the year.
C-N starter Will Gardner (Morristown, Tenn.) took his first loss of the year going 5 2/3 innings allowing eight runs, six earned on nine hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Russ Weiker righted the ship for Catawba after starter Michael Elwell gave up three earned runs in one inning. Weiker (1-0) went 5 1/3 innings striking out six yielding three earned runs on four hits and two walks.
Chance Bowden led an offense of four players with multi-hit evenings going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Setzer, Fowler and Simpson each had a pair of knocks.
The two programs will determine the series Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Eric Cain and Mark Inserra are on site providing the play-by-play coverage for the Eagle Sports Network for each game as coverage starts at 12:50 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to First Pitch".
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