AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Carson-Newman baseball team split a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon to close out its four-game series at August State.
The Jaguars claimed the first game, 4-1, while the Eagles responded to take the second game, 9-3, at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
With the split, C-N and Augusta State both move 2-2 on the season.
In the first game, Augusta State's Casey Hanrahan delivered a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie and lift the Jaguars to a 4-1 victory.
C-N reliever Ryan Fillers (Greeneville, Tenn.) (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up one run on two hits in 1/3 of an inning of work.
Augusta State reliever Rob Crosby (1-0) picked up the win after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Wilson Taylor earned his second save of the season by working a perfect inning and striking out one batter.
The Eagles managed just four hits for the game. Senior Jonathan Dalton (Rutledge, Tenn.) went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI after driving in Aaron Vargas (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) in the first with a sacrifice fly for C-N's lone run.
The Jaguars finished with eight hits, including two apiece from Hanrahan and Brac Barton.
In the second contest, the Eagles produced nine hits and took advantage of seven Augusta State errors en route to a 9-3 win.
Sophomore Ben McKinney (Johnson City, Tenn.) went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs to lead the Eagles, while Dalton also went 2-for-3. Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.) added one hit and two RBIs, while freshman Trace Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.) drove in two runs.
Sophomore reliever Evan Faithful (Hingham, Mass.) (1-0) worked five innings, giving up one unearned run and four hits to claim the victory.
August State starter Kip Custer (0-1) picked up the loss after surrendering four earned runs and five hits in four innings on the mound. Custer also had five strikeouts.
The Eagles struck first in the second inning, as Dalton singled and later scored on a throwing error, but Augusta State answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the inning, including a solo home run by Tristan Toorie.
C-N regained the lead in the fourth, as Nix came through with a two-run single to put the Eagles on top 3-2.
After the Jaguars tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth, C-N put the game away with a four-run outburst in the fifth. The Eagles tallied four hits in the inning, including a two-run single by McKinney and RBI sacrifice flies by Morgan Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.) and Rogers.
C-N returns to the diamond on Tuesday in a doubleheader at Belmont Abbey. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
