KODAK, Tenn. – Matt Coles fired eight innings and fanned a career-high eight while fifth-seeded Carson-Newman's bats burst for four runs in the third to stay unbeaten in the 2021 Pilot Flying J South Atlantic Conference Baseball Championships with a 5-4 win over fourth-seeded Wingate Sunday at Smokies Stadium.
"Coles was basically calling his own game mixing it up changing speeds on the fastball," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "It was an exceptional job against an outstanding hitting team. That was all about Coles. Being able to make some plays behind him with double plays in some key situations is always big. Coe told me he had an inning in him and you get the ball in your best guys hand at all times."
Carson-Newman (27-14) advances to the final day with its first game of at least two guaranteed starting at 10 a.m. against the winner of top-seeded Catawba and Wingate (27-12).
After being swept by the 'Dogs in regular season, the Eagles also snap a three-game conference tournament skid in the series beating Wingate in the postseason for the first time since April 19, 2008.
Coles earned his fifth win of the season tossing eight frames giving up four runs, only one earned on nine hits with eight punch outs and one walk. Brayden Coe (Bridgeville, Pa.) came in to work the ninth on short rest throwing 10 pitches in a 1-2-3 stanza to iron down the first save of his career.
"I think it starts when we practice and train," Griffin said. "We don't try to just turn it on for the game. We are training with intensity and passion. We are training like this every day and so the game is a byproduct. Our birthday parties are the training. The games are the meat and potatoes is all about our training. I think it's something we want to do every single day to make it a part of their mindset."
For the second straight inning, @mattcoles034 shuts down the Bulldogs.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 25, 2021
Three straight Ks for the southpaw, capped off with this knee-buckler.
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Championship Monday bound for @CNBaseball.@BrayCoe shuts the �� for C-N over Wingate.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) April 25, 2021
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Jordan Griffin (Ellerslie, Ga.) tallied the first multi-hit game of his season going 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.) added a 2-for-5 day with a run scored.
Wingate starter Brody McCullough struck out four of the first six batters of the game before the Eagles scored four times in the top of the third. Griffin ignited the rally with a lead-off double down the left-field line before scoring on a one-out single to center field by Genter. Following a base hit, Gunnar Ricketts (Hixson, Tenn.) crushed an RBI double off of the wall in straightaway center field. Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.) pushed a ball through the right side of the infield to make it a 3-0 game. On a stolen base attempt, Jackson was in a pickle and a dropped toss allowed Ricketts to score to cap the frame.
Two singles opened the bottom of the third for the Bulldogs with Gehrig Christopher scoring on a fielder's choice to pull the club within three at 4-1.
With one out in the fourth, Griffin pounded a single back up the box and stole second base to set up Charlie Brown (Sevierville, Tenn.). The right-handed hitter pulled a ball to left field to get Griffin home and stretch the margin to 5-1.
An error opened up the bottom of the eighth and a single with one out put two on. Following a punch out, Hunter Dula lined a 3-2 pitch over the fence in right field two advertisements over from the foul pole to trim the margin to a run at 5-4.
McCullough had allowed four total runs in the last 35 1/3 innings and six all season but surrendered five runs, four run in seven stanzas. The first-team All-SAC selection took his second loss of the year despite a season-high nine strikeouts.
Christopher led the Wingate offense with three hits in four at bats while Logan McNeely added a pair of pokes. The Bulldogs had scored 10-plus runs in four its last five games and were outscoring teams 58-12.
Monday's game starts at 10 a.m. with the contest airing on cneagles.com/live for the live video and audio streams or through the South Atlantic Conference app using your Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV. Ticket information can be found here with daily tickets and entire weekend packages available for purchase.
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