KODAK, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Eagles (17-20) committed six errors for the sixth time in program history in a 15-5 loss to the King Tornado (13-25-1) Wednesday evening at Smokies Park.

The night got off to an ominous start as the visiting team in the contest put up four runs in the top of the first inning. Two straight doubles on three pitches plated the first run of the game. With King holding a 2-0 lead and two outs, centerfielder Garrett Cook launched a two-run home run to the base of the scoreboard in left field to make it a 4-0 game.

"I think we were shell-shocked," head coach Tom Griffin said of the first frame. "It was tough to recover from it. We didn't know how to get out of that. It was the first time this year that we couldn't get out of it. Maybe it was the venue playing under a little brighter lights."

The Tornado scored in eight of the nine innings and had a 5-0 lead going into the fourth inning when back-to-back errors allowed the first two men to reach base. With a run in and two outs, catcher J.D. Wallace blasted a two-run home run over the second fence that was roughly 410 feet away from home plate. Cook followed with his second blast of the night to make the deficit 9-0.

Carson-Newman scratched the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, sophomore left fielder Joe Tipton (Dandridge, Tenn.) laced a double down the left field line to clear the bases and pull the Eagles within six runs.

Trailing 12-3 in the home half of the seventh inning, the Eagles were able to get two runs when junior right fielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and junior first basemen Evan Jurjevic (New Carlisle, Ind.) each drew a bases loaded walk to make it a 12-5 game.

The Eagles used ten different pitchers in the contest as they allowed a season-high 15 runs and 19 hits in the affair. The six errors were committed by six different players.

Senior second basemen Peter Rajkovich (Stockton, Calif.) and sophomore third basemen Brandon Roberts (Davie, Fla.) each tallied two hits as Carson-Newman was held to eight hits in the contest.

After an off day on Thursday, the Eagles return to the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex for a three-game series against South Atlantic Conference foe Newberry beginning Friday at 2 p.m.

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