ROME, Ga. – Carson-Newman cranked out 15 hits, the second-most in 2017 as six pitchers limited the chances for Shorter as the Eagles earned an 11-4 victory Wednesday afternoon at the Robert H. Ledbetter Complex to run the team's winning streak to six games.
"The offense really played very well top to bottom," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "We got production from the bottom part as much as the bottom part. Ryan Addington was on fire. The middle part of the lineup has stayed hot. You are going to win ball games when one through are having good at-bats. I thought we played solid defense. Our pitching was effective."
The victory also snaps an eight-game losing streak on the road that dated back to a win at Limestone on Feb. 8 that matched the longest skid for C-N in the Division II era with the 1994 club.
Carson-Newman (16-16) is back to .500 overall on the season for the first time since being 6-6 following a loss to Tusculum on Feb. 21. The Eagles have now won all four meetings against Shorter (16-14) played at the Robert H. Ledbetter Complex.
C-N was off and rolling in the top of the first inning as Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) ripped a double to the wall in right field. A fly out and a ground score Addington to the open the scoring. Paul Kirby (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) stepped to the plate with two down and launched his fifth homer of the season to make it 2-0.
A pair of bunt singles started the third inning for the Eagles. A double steal saw Trever Lee (Garner, N.C.) tagged out on the base paths allowing Addington to sit on second base as he sprinted to third on a fly out to right field. A throwing error by third baseman Bailey Gerstner with two outs allowed Addington to cross the plate to push the edge to 3-0.
The first two batters were retired in the top of the fourth inning as Brett Langhorne (Mechiancsville, Va.) walked and Jimmy Rice (Middlesex, N.J.) lined a base hit down the left field line. Trever Lee (Garner, N.C.) hit a base hit through the left side of the infield to score Langhorne and extend the lead to 4-0.
For the second time in as many days, Greg Jones (Maryville, Tenn.) started an inning with a home run. The senior pounded a 0-2 pitch into the seating area in right field to stretch the lead to five runs at 5-0.
Shorter scratched three runs across the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull within a pair at 5-3. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases. Back-to-back fielder's choices at second base brought home the first two runs. Isaiah Maddela was caught in a rundown between first and second base for the final out but was not tagged out before Nate Butterworth scored from third base.
The Eagles exploded for five runs in the top of the seventh inning to expand the advantage to 10-3 entering stretch time. Lee and Addington singled to open the stanza. Following a ground out, Snapped reached on an error to score Lee. Kirby blasted an RBI double to center field to start a string of two-base hits. Jones flew out to right to plate Kirby. Gooch Greer (Dickson, Tenn.) and Langhorne hit back-to-back run-producing doubles to cap the scoring.
Addington ended the day by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored for his second straight four-hit game. The senior is now 16 for his last 24 at the plate over a six-game hitting streak.
Snapp did not record a hit on the day by drove in four runs. Kirby went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. Lee notched the first four-hit day of his career going 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Will Winslow led the offense for the Hawks by going 3-for-5 with a run scored and Isaiah Maddela notched two hits and two runs knocked in.
Drew Eller (Melbourne, Fla.) picked up his first career win tossing a scoreless inning of relief. Jordan Davis (Maryville, Tenn.) tossed the final three innings of the game to earn his first career save striking out four allowing two hits, three walks and an earned run.
The Eagles host Lenoir-Rhyne this weekend in a three-game series in South Atlantic Conference play that is scheduled to start Friday at 2 p.m. from the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. Each game of the series will be broadcast in high definition starting 15 minutes prior to first pitch on cneagles.com/live courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network.
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