VIDEO: Harrison Travis Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman pounded out six extra-base hits putting up at least two runs in four of the eight innings to lock down a 13-3 win over DePauw to start a six-game homestand on Tuesday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"I thought the way that we came in with good approaches at the plate," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "Defense was fine. You get that quality pitching. It was great to see Spencer Williams and Spencer Bright get their first hits. There is always something as a coach when they get their first college hit, first win or save. That's why you do it. You get the experiences you want to share with them. It's theirs but it's fun to see that. You're proud as a coach to have those moments that they will never forget."
The Eagles finished with 15 hits, tied for the third-most by the team this season, as six players notched multi-hit games. Carson-Newman (18-15) remained undefeated against Division III programs all time defeating DePauw (6-9) in the first meeting.
With one out in the top of the first, Cameron Macon bounced a ball in the hole at short for an infield single and raced around to score on a double down the left-field line by Kyle Callahan putting the visiting club ahead 1-0.
Carson-Newman was retired in order in the first before the first two of the second on a walk and a throwing error. Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) clobbered a 2-1 offering on a whistling liner to straightaway center field for his third homer of the year to make it a 3-1 C-N lead.
"He was down in the count early so I was just hunting that fastball," Travis said. "Coach came over to me and told me to be patient so that's what I did. You have to stay with it. I have tons of guys in here that have my back all the time. You have to stay up no matter how bad it gets."
The Eagles exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fifth stretching the bulge out to 7-1. Spencer Bright (Iron Station, N.C.) tallied the first hit of his career line a ball into left field to kickstart the rally. Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.) ripped an RBI triple to the fence in right field. Three batters later, Kilian Daughtry (Simpsonville, S.C.) split the alley with a two-run double before scoring on a triple by Travis.
After retiring 15 straight batters, Ryan Smithson (Monroe, Ga.) saw Cameron Allen lace a single into left field with one out in the sixth. Five pitches later on a 3-1 delivery, Macon blasted a two-run shot to left-center field pulling the Tigers within a 7-3 tally.
In the bottom of the sixth, a bases loaded hit batter and an RBI single to left field by Daughtry pushed the margin back to a six-run game at 9-3.
Scoring three more times in the seventh, Bright and Ricketts tallied RBI knocks around a Jackson sacrifice fly to make it a 12-3 game. C-N loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) walked it off in run-rule fashion with a single off of the glove of a diving shortstop.
Smithson logged a career-high seven strikeouts matching a career-best with six innings on the slab allowing three earned runs on four hits. The bullpen recorded the final six outs facing two over the minimum.
Travis reached base four times in the game going 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored as Daughtry added a 2-for-4 day with three RBIs and three runs scored. Jackson, Ricketts, Williams and Bright each added two knocks with the former driving in two.
Four Tigers hurlers yielded at least two runs each on the mound as the team mustered four total hits. Macon paced the lineup going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Eagles are back in action at home on Wednesday facing off with Alabama-Huntsville at 3 p.m. for a broadcast on cneagles.com/live with audio and video streams available from the Eagle Sports Network.
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