SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman baseball team dropped a 7-5 decision to Mars Hill on Friday night in South Atlantic Conference action at Smokies Park.

The Eagles held a one-run advantage late in the contest, but the Lions rallied for three runs in the eighth to take the lead and held on for the win.

With the loss, C-N falls to 24-10 on the season and 12-4 in the conference. Mars Hill improves to 22-10 overall and 14-5 in SAC play.

The Eagles managed eight hits on the night, including two each from Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Wesley Dozier (Cornelius, N.C.).

Mars Hill collected 13 hits. Kris Torrance (Jefferson Station, N.Y.) led the way with a 4-for-5 effort, including a two-run home run. Patrick Davidson (Swannanoa, N.C.) added three hits and three RBIs, while Brandon Savoca (Riegelwood, N.C.) and Dalton Hardee (Boone, N.C.) tallied two hits apiece in the win.

Lions starting hurler Greg Smith (Murrells Inlet, N.C.) picked up the win. Smith (5-3) allowed two earned runs and seven hits and struck out five batters in 7 1/3 innings of work.

Eagles reliever D.J. Ferguson (Jupiter, Fla.) fell to 5-2 on the season after surrendering three runs and five hits in two innings on the mound.

The Eagles grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third behind a RBI double by Patterson and a run-scoring single by Jeff Lockwood (Knoxville, Tenn.), but Mars Hill answered to tie the game in the top of the fourth, as Torrance launched a two-run blast to right field.

C-N regained the lead in the fifth, as Aaron Vargas (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) reach on an error and then scored on a Patterson single. Lockwood later gave the Eagles a 4-2 advantage, driving in Patterson with a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Lions trimmed C-N's lead to 4-3 in the sixth on a RBI single by Davidson and then rallied for three runs in the eighth to take the lead for good at 6-4. Hardee highlighted the inning by delivering a two-run single.

C-N and Mars Hill conclude the three-game set on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.