JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Junior starting pitcher Quinton Yocom (Cable, Ohio) became the first Carson-Newman pitcher to throw a nine-inning shutout against a South Atlantic Conference opponent since Brett Hontz blanked Wingate on April 4, 2008 helping the Eagles (19-21, 11-13) defeat the Newberry Wolves (20-21, 11-13 SAC) 2-0 Sunday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"I really got my off-speed working," Yocom said about his outing. "My location with my changeup and curveball was huge. In the past, I couldn't find the zone with it. Today, I got everything working and it paid off for me big time."
In the first shutout by the team this year, Yocom pitched with a runner in scoring position in four of the nine frames, but was only in jeopardy of allowing a run in one stanza. Catcher Chas Goodwin drew a one out walk in the seventh inning and was standing on second base with two outs. Shortstop lined a single into right field as Goodwin tried to score on the play. Junior right fielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) scooped the ball and fired a bullet to junior catcher J.D. Cowart (Athens, Tenn.) who had to dive across the plate to tag out Goodwin and keep the Wolves off of the scoreboard.
Yocom is the first Eagle pitcher since Robby Thigpen on February 4, 2012 to hurl a nine-inning shutout. The righty allowed eight hits and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts as Yocom threw 116 pitches, 83 for strikes.
Junior centerfielder Evan Kirkpatrick (Jefferson City, Tenn.) put the Eagles on top in the bottom of the third inning. Kirkpatrick drove a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for his second home run of his career and first that landed over the wall. It was the first Eagle hit of the game after Newberry starter Jake Nidiffer retired the first seven men of the game.
"The guys had been giving me a hard time," Kirkpatrick said of his home run. "They were saying I wasn't in the home run club yet. I had to prove them wrong today. Luckily I got a good pitch and I took it out."
The Eagles added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs, Kirkpatrick laced a double off of the fence in left field. Cowart was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Senior second basemen Peter Rajkovich (Stockton, Calif.) lined a single back up the middle to score Kirkpatrick and make it a 2-0 game. Cowart was thrown out trying to go to third base on the play.
"Today's game was outstanding," head coach Tom Griffin said. "We were fortunate to get a timely hit with a ground ball up the middle. From there, the story became Yocom and his domination."
Carson-Newman will go for a three-game winning streak Tuesday afternoon when Trevecca Nazerene visits Mossy Creek for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
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