BELMONT, N.C. – The Carson-Newman Eagles (23-15) won their eighth consecutive game by scoring three runs in the top of the ninth with two outs in a 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Belmont Abbey Crusaders (18-18) Tuesday afternoon at Abbey Yard.
"[The coaches] are managing them during the game," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "They are playing it. They are executing it. Earlier in the game, we had some situational hitting where we didn't take good at-bats. Before I have to get in the dugout to remind them of that job, we are seeing guys step up and say to each other 'understand this at-bat and what the purpose and the plan was'. When they can correct it themselves, that's the kind of mojo you want."
Carson-Newman starting pitcher Logan Shaftner (Lexington, Ky.) retired the first six batters of the game, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. With two on and two outs, Kayden Krause singled to rightfield to bring in one run and another run crossed the plate on a fielding error by Mitch Trzeciak (Charlotte, Mich.). Anthony Dimino laced a 2-1 pitch to the rightfield corner to score Krause and make it a 3-0 Belmont Abbey lead.
Senior leftfielder Bo Ausmus (Jefferson City, Tenn.) led off the top of the fourth frame with a ground-rule double to left-centerfield. After two groundouts, freshman designated hitter Austin Kearney (Powell, Tenn.) lined a double down the rightfield line to plate Ausmus and cut the deficit to two runs.
Back-to-back singles with one out put runners at the corners for the Crusaders in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore catcher Greg Jones (Maryville, Tenn.) tried to pick off Armen Calilao from third, but an errant toss allowed Calilao to score and push the Crusaders' lead to 4-1.
Ausmus lined a double inside of the third base bag to start the sixth inning for the Eagles and came across the plate on a sacrifice fly by Kearney to cut the score to 4-2.
The first two batters were retired in the bottom of the seventh inning before Lorenzo Wright laced a triple to centerfield and scored on a throwing error by senior shortstop Bryan Everhart (Greenville, Tenn.) to extend the lead back to three runs for the Crusaders.
With one out in the top of the ninth inning, sophomore centerfielder Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) singled into centerfield. With two outs, an error by Belmont Abbey shortstop Kayden Krause allowed sophomore second basemen Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) to reach safely. A single by junior third basemen Brandon Roberts (Davie, Fla.) that snuck into leftfield loaded the bases. Senior first basemen Evan Jurjevic (New Carlisle, Ind.) lined a single to leftfield to score two runs. Ausmus tied the score with a solid base knock to leftfield.
Everhart started the top of the tenth with an infield single as Krause slowly played a roller to begin the inning. The senior shortstop moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Addington and give Carson-Newman its first lead of the game at 6-5.
"I think the fact that they just kept battling, put balls in play," Griffin said. "That gives you a chance. We had some timely hits that extended the inning, let the next guy get up and give us a chance. The upperclassmen stepped up quite a bit."
Senior righthander Carson Bryant (Fletcher, N.C.) tallied his sixth save of the year allowing a hit and a strikeout in the bottom of the tenth inning. Bryant, named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week during the game, became the first Eagle since Corbin Arial in 2008 to record six saves in a year.
Ausmus compiled his team-leading 18th multi-hit game of the year by going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored while Roberts and Kearney each had two hits in the game.
Carson-Newman resumes South Atlantic Conference action Friday at 6 p.m. at Newberry for the first of a three-game series against the Wolves. Tune into cneagles.com/live for the free audio stream of the contest.
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