JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Senior Austin Bridgewater (Morristown, Tenn.) allowed one run in 7.1 innings of work and Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.) belted a three-run triple as Carson-Newman beat No. 27 Limestone, 8-2, in their home finale on Tuesday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
In the final home game for eight Eagle seniors, the group combined for seven of C-N's eight hits on the day and five times.
Bridgewater carried the load on the mound, taking a shutout into the eighth inning to pick up his fourth win. He struck out three and allowed only three hits in returning to the form that earned his All-South Atlantic Conference honors coming into his senior year.
C-N took advantage of five Saints errors on the day to pick up their 21st win.
The Eagles struck with a run in the first, making the most of a leadoff walk.
Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked and reached second when Lance Rorex (Chattanooga, Tenn.) hit Saints' starter Cameron Ward with a line drive. Third baseman Zach Howard scooped up the ground ball to retire Rorex on the play. Patterson stole third and scored when the throw from Saints' catcher Joe Maloney sailed into leftfield to give C-N a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles would add a second run in the second when Morgan Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.) reached on a bunt single and later scored on an RBI line drive through the right side from Troy Zawadski (Shrewsbury, Mass.).
The Eagles loaded the bases with no outs in the inning, but could only manage a run for a 2-0 lead.
C-N would add two more to its lead in the sixth. Senior Jonathan Dalton (Rutledge, Tenn.) belted his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to right off of Ward.
Wes Dozier also doubled and scored in the frame. After his 13th double of the year, the senior stole third and scored when Maloney's throw again sailed into left field.
Limestone's biggest threat would come in the eighth.
The Saints loaded the bases with one out behind a single from Joe Maloney and two walks.
Eagle reliever Ryan Fillers (Greeneville, Tenn.) came on to record two outs on three pitches to pitch out of the jam.
C-N put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning, again taking advantage of Limestone errors.
Dalton and Gregory each delivered their second hits of the game, both singles, to help the Eagles load the bases.
Lance Reed (Elizabethton, Tenn.) would reach on an error by Saints' shortstop David Christy to keep the inning alive and set the stage for Nix's three-run triple, a ground ball just inside the bag at first to clear the bases.
Carson-Newman returns to action Wednesday against King College in Bristol, Tenn. The Eagles will wrap up their regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader against Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C.
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