HARROGATE, Tenn. – Tyler Shaver fanned six over 6 2/3 shutout innings and Tyler Thompson racked up four hits to lead Carson-Newman to a 7-4 win at Lamar Hennon Field in the South Atlantic Conference finale against Lincoln Memorial.
"Tyler Shaver really competed well," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "He was in the strike zone and the defense played much better than it did yesterday. Offensively we had good approaches all day and made the adjustments compared to yesterday. Today Shaver gave us what we needed, long relief. To come back out today as a team and rebound from yesterday was big for this group."
Carson-Newman (15-8, 5-4) stays above .500 in SAC play while snapping a six-game skid to Lincoln Memorial dating back to March 24, 2018 when the Eagles also won the series finale in Harrogate over the Railsplitters.
For the third time in the series, the Eagles got the ball rolling with a big first inning jumping out to a 3-0 advantage. With a runner at second base and two outs, Malik Kyle (Jefferson City, Tenn.) laced a single to center field to get the visitors on the board. After a single and a walk loaded the bases, Mark Treadway (Friendsville, Tenn.) lined a base hit to right field to score a pair.
Once again Lincoln Memorial had the answer scoring three times in the bottom of the frame. Tyler Adams doubled to left to score Nate Stinson. An error brought in a run and a sacrifice fly to right field leveled the score at three after an inning.
Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) tripled to right field with one out in the top of the second inning and scored on a base knock to left field by Gunnar Ricketts (Hixson, Tenn.) to get the Eagles back on top, 4-3.
Despite LMU tying the score in the bottom of the third inning on a double steal, Carson-Newman bounced back to seize the lead in the fourth on a lead-off homer to left field by Charlie Brown (Sevierville, Tenn.).
In the fifth frame, Griffin's group tacked on a pair thanks to ground out by Treadway and a wild pitch to get the margin back to three runs at 7-4.
Shaver produced another dazzling outing finishing the game on the mound after Matt Coles (Winter Garden, Fla.) started the game. The right-hander allowed two hits and one walk fanning six getting a game-ending double play with the tying run at the plate. The Dandridge, Tenn. native has not allowed a run over his last 15 2/3 innings. His ERA for the year sits at 1.12 for the year, tops in the conference.
Thompson produced his first career four-hit game in his 48th multi-hit day at the ball park going 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Kyle went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Treadway drove in three.
Of LMU's four hits on the day, four different players picked up pokes with Stinson crossing the dish twice to lead the offense. The Railsplitters used six pitchers with Evan Porter giving up four earned runs and recording four hits to start the affair.
The Eagles have a pair of midweek road trips on tap this week visiting Shorter on Tuesday and Alabama-Huntsville on Wednesday. Both games are slated for 2 p.m. first pitches.
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