C-N Game Notes
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After sweeping Coker to get into first place in the South Atlantic Conference standings, Carson-Newman returns home to face Covenant on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and Bluefield State on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Carson-Newman (12-6) has lost back-to-back home games entering Tuesday. The team has not dropped three straight since doing so in April 2016 after losing two in-a-row just once during the 2017 campaign.
Ryan Addington and Jimmy Rice tallied a combined seven hits and five RBIs as Carson-Newman beat Covenant in the first meeting between the two programs 9-5 on April 19, 2017 at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
The Eagles used 10 different pitchers on the day picking up a season-high 13 strikeouts as seven different hurlers tossed scoreless outings. Ryan Victory earned his third win of the year striking out a batter in an inning of work.
C-N takes on Bluefield State for the seventh time overall as the Eagles have never dropped an outing against the Blues outscoring them 94-20 in those contests. C-N has produced at least 12 runs in each of the last five outings.
In the April 25, 2017 game, Griffin's group scored nine runs in the bottom of the first as every starter crossed the dish in the frame en route to a 15-2 win. The Eagles picked up their 22nd home win of 2017 matching the program's Division II record for victories at home in a single season posting an identical 22-6 tally with the 2002 club.
Nine different hurlers tossed an inning for C-N allowing just five hits and racking up nine strikeouts on the day. Grant Rabbitts was given the win tossing a six-pitch first inning to be victorious for the first time since March 29, 2016. The pitching staff racked up nine punch outs on the day while Bluefield State's gave up 10 walks.
The Scots, members of the USA South Athletic Conference, are coming off of a three-game sweep at Berea outscoring its foe 33-10 during the weekend. It has won five of the last six and is 3-2 in true road games this year.
At the plate, Caleb Bloye leads the team in long balls with two holding a .364 batting average. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in last season's contest. Joel Johnson had a pair of knocks, an RBI and a run scored against C-N a year ago and he is hitting .400 with a team-leading 15 RBIs. Each player has six stolen bases each in 2018.
On the mound, the club has a 5.24 team ERA having allowed seven long balls as 13 different hurlers have recorded at least one out this season.
The Big Blues finished last season 13-34 playing just seven games at home. Six of the 13 victories came in road contests. In 2018, the team has three home contests slated.
In one game this season, the program's pitching staff allowed just one hit against St. Augustine's on Feb. 9 but lost the game 1-0 allowing a runner to score off of an error. Tanner Muovich allowed two walks and struck out three to take the loss while his club picked up four hits but could not drive in a run.
Both games will be broadcast on cneagles.com/live with video and audio streams available courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network starting 15 minutes before the first pitch of the games.
- CN -
