NEWBERRY, S.C. – Greg Valentine scattered three hits in a career-high 4 2/3 innings of work as Carson-Newman registered hits in critical situations to win its South Atlantic Conference opener Friday evening 5-3 at the Smith Road Complex over Newberry.
"Greg Valentine was the story of the game," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "He got out of a jam to start and threw scoreless innings to give us a chance. It was the best he had been for that period of time in his career. Dalton Long didn't give up any crooked numbers and battled. We played solid defense and had timely hits. I thought their starter did a really good job. Their outfield defense was really stellar early."
The Eagles were outhit 11-7 by the Wolves but left four men on base compared to eight by their foe in the opening weekend of league play.
After not winning a league game on the road in 2017, Carson-Newman (8-4, 1-0) wins in its first try of 2018 snapping a seven-game losing streak at Newberry (4-7, 0-1) dating back to April 6, 2013.
Griffin's group has now won five of its last six conference openers with the lone blemish coming at Catwaba to open 2017.
In the game, Valentine faced the minimum in three of his four full frames of work. The Knoxville, Tenn. native earned his third win of the year while matching his career-high for K's set at Limestone on Feb. 2, 2018. He also threw 4 2/3 innings at Catawba on Feb. 25, 2017.
EAGLES WIN!! @valentine_greg throws 4.2 scoreless innings as C-N wins its @SAC_Athletics opener.@CNBaseball 5
— C-N Athletics (@CNathletics) February 24, 2018
Newberry 3
FINAL pic.twitter.com/drIrKnaXQI
With the first two batters of the top of the first sent down, Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) singled to left field and Ethan Goforth (Blacksburg, Va.) drew a four-pitch walk. Colby Morgan (Hixson, Tenn.) hit a ball to shortstop. Colin Allman sailed a ball past the second base bag allowing Snapp to score the game's first run and put men on the corners. Morgan took off for second base on the next pitch and got caught in a rundown as Goforth scored before Morgan was tagged out to put C-N on top 2-0 before Newberry stepped to the plate.
The Wolves scratched a run across the plate in the bottom of the third inning to cut the deficit to a run. Allman double to the gap in left-center with one out. Ben Herring delivered a two-out single through the left side of the infield on a 1-2 pitch to score Allman.
After a fly out opened the bottom of the fourth, Chase Barbary launched the initial offering of his at-bat over the fence in left to pull Newberry even at two.
Three straight singles opened the bottom of the fifth frame for Newberry as a base knock into right by Derek Olenchuk scored Danton Hyman to put the Wolves on top 3-2. The home club loaded the bases with one out before Valentine struck out Tyler White and induced a ground out from Barbary to keep it a one-run game.
Goforth ignited a rally for the Eagles in the top of the seventh with a lead-off double. Morgan hit a grounder to short that Allman threw to third trying to get the lead runner. Goforth slid in safely to put two on with no one out.
John Sharpe (Franklin, Tenn.) lined a base hit into left to plate Goforth and tie the game at three. After a wild pitch, Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) reached on an infield single to score Morgan and put C-N ahead. Two batters later, Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) sliced a double into left field to get Sharpe home and make the Eagles advantage 5-3.
Goforth scored a pair of runs while Sharpe and Thompson piled up their fourth and third multi-hit efforts of the season respectively with two knocks apiece.
Evan Estridge (0-2) was a tough luck loser as he had retired 10 straight Eagles prior to allowing Goforth's double in C-N's three-run seventh. The righty worked 6 1/3 stanzas allowing five runs, three earned on six hits and one walk with four punch outs.
Each of the top three batters in the Newberry lineup had two hits in Hyman, Allman and Olenchuk while three individuals drove in the runs.
A twin-bill is slated for Saturday afternoon starting at 1 p.m. as the Eagles and Wolves tussle for the series victory. Video and live stats will be available through the Newberry media department.
- CN -
