With the wins, C-N improves to 27-11 on the year, while Belmont Abbey falls to 14-20.
Game 1
Carson-Newman 16, Belmont Abbey 14 (7)
Freshman Ryan Fillers (Greeneville, Tenn.) allowed just one hit over the final inning and a third to close the door on Belmont Abbey’s rally from a 10-run deficit as the Eagles won game one, 16-14.
C-N led 15-3 after four innings, but the Crusaders rallied to within two runs after plating five runs in the fifth inning and six more in the sixth.
The Crusaders cut the score to the game’s final score and loaded bases in the sixth, but Fillers recorded the final out in the jam after knocking down a line drive by Roberto Sanchez back up the box and flipping to Eagle first baseman Derek Long (Jefferson City, Tenn.) to end the threat.
The C-N offense amassed nine extra-base hits, including three by shortstop Mills Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.), as C-N built its big lead.
Belmont Abbey built a 3-0 lead in the top of the first behind a leadoff home run by Roberto Sanchez and a two-run shot from Daniel Torrente, but the Eagles quickly answered.
C-N scored seven runs in the bottom half of the first, highlighted by two-run home runs by Rogers and Corey Lamson (Gray, Tenn.). Rogers finished the game 4-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Lamson added three RBIs in the game.
The Eagles would add five runs in the third as Rogers and Long each had RBI doubles in the innings.
The Crusaders would climb back into the game behind a 4-for-5 day by Roland Rodriguez. He finished with three doubles and three runs scored.
Third baseman Wesley Dozier (Cornelious, N.C.) added four hits including an RBI single and a double as a part of the seven-run first inning.
C-N finished the game with 16 hits. The Crusaders outhit the Eagles, 20-16, but could not climb out of the 12-run hole.
Game 2
Carson-Newman 10, Belmont Abbey 3 (7)
Eagle starting pitcher D.J. Ferguson (Jupiter, Fla.) tossed four innings of one-hit ball and Mills Rogers and Corey Lamson each hit their second home runs of the day as Carson-Newman rolled to a 10-3 win in game two.
Ferguson (WP, 6-2) struck out four in four innings of work, allowing only a solo home run to Crusaders’ left fielder Spencer Sobol.
C-N plated multiple runs in each of the first four innings to put the game out of reach.
Designated hitter Jeff Lockwood (Knoxville, Tenn.) went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles, including a first inning drive to left field that scored Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.) to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Dozier would also add an RBI single in the inning as C-N took a 2-0 lead.
Rogers would build the Eagles’ lead to 5-1 in the second with a towering three-run home run to left field, his 10th of the year.
Lamson continued the fireworks in the third driving the first pitch of the inning over the right field fence for his 10th of the year.
Senior Ryan Hendrickson (Port. St. Lucie, Fla.) came on to strike out the side in the seventh to seal the win.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Friday evening against Wingate University in Wingate, N.C. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Eagles and Bulldogs will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.
