VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Trailing 8-0 after seven innings, Carson-Newman (25-20, 10-10 South Atlantic Conference) scored seven times with six outs remaining to get the tying run in scoring position, but ultimately came up just short against 21st-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (37-8, 15-6) Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
In a 3:49 marathon, the Bears prevailed 9-7 to clinch their first series at Carson-Newman since 2003.
"Obviously, getting back in a game like that against a squad that is that talented is encouraging," Carson-Newman head baseball coach Tom Griffin said. "For all coaches, you want to have a chance at the end, when you get the winning run in scsoring position, you've overcome some odds that we probably shouldn't have. However, we made too many mistakes early that put us in that deficit. Our middle relief struggled in spots with command. Smithson did a good job keeping things at bay, but it was just too many runs to overcome."
Lenoir-Rhyne struck first via the long ball in the top of the second. After Luis Atiles reached on an error to lead off the inning, a fly out and a ground out seemed to have the Eagles on the cusp of getting out of the inning.
David Bell tanked a 2-2 pitch out of the park to left before Erick Ramirez clobbered his first home run of the season over the wall down the left field line for three unearned runs and a 3-0 lead for the Bears after 1.5 innings.
The back-to-back bombs chased Noah Pridmore from the game as the starter to give way to Brayden Coe.
Coe worked 2.2 scores frames before L-R used more two-out hitting to extend the lead. Drew Yniesta blooped a single to right before taking second on a wild pitch. Nick Clarno smoked a two-out double off the wall in left center to plate Yniesta and push the Bears' edge to 4-0.
The Bears continued to play add on in the sixth. Anthony Porrino led off the inning with a single through the left side before Brayden Collett doubled him in to right center. A single, a sac bunt and a walk loaded the bases for L-R with one out. A wild pitch scored Collett to take away a double play ball and extend the lead to 6-0 before back-to-back walks, the second with the bases loaded, staked the Bears to a 7-0 edge.
A Porrino blast to left led off the seventh to stretch it to 8-0. Carson-Newman wouldn't go quietly. The Eagles got five back in the bottom of the eighth. A Henry Jackson walk and Micah Genter single set the table for the rally. Kilian Daughtry drove in the first run of the game with a bloop single down the right field line. Harrison Travis continued the line with a bouncing ball back up the box to make it an 8-2 ball game.
After a strike out, Zach Boze nuked a 2-2 pitch straight into Mossy Creek off the left field fence. The three-run shot brought the Eagles within three runs.
The Bears got a run back in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly.
Carson-Newman got the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, but never could get the final timely hit to level things up.
A Luke Goforth single and a Henry Jackson walk got the inning started before the pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Micah Genter plated the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left center.
Daughtry wore a pitch to give C-N two base runners and bring the tying run to the plate. Harris Travis ripped a basse hit up the middle to pull the Eagles within two runs.
Andrew Carpenter walked to load the bases, but a foul out and a fly out ended C-N's rally.
Kanan Butler got the win to improve to 2-0 for the Bears. He pitched a scoreless fifth after starter Austin Edwards failed to meet the pitching minimum.
Michael Allen logged his first save of the season, retiring the final two batters of the ninth.
Noah Pridmore took the loss to fall to 4-4 after a 2.0-inning start. He gave up three runs, all unearned and three hits while punching out two.
Travis had the only multi-hit day at the plate for C-N, driving in two. Boze was 1-for-4 with a three-run blast.
Yniesta and Porrino paced L-R with three-hit days. The Bears had five extra-base hits for the game, three of which were home runs.
Carson-Newman has moved what was originally scheduled for a Monday game against Young Harris to Wednesday at 3 p.m. due to the threat of rain.
