VIDEO: Skylar Barnett Interview
VIDEO: Cade Snapp Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
JEFFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The hot bat of Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) and strong arm of Mo Foster (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) enabled Carson-Newman to tally yet another come-from-behind 7-3 win in the first part of Saturday's double header, but it was the Cardinals who got the last laugh behind a strong pitching performance from Trevor Friday in game two to split the twin killing with an 8-4 win in the night cap.
"It goes back to discipline and doing the little things," assistant Skylar Barnett said. "We are able to show it in some instances and in some instances we are not. Insurance runs are everything in college baseball, you never know what run is going to help you win and what run is going to help you lose. Other guys still need to get going and you know Cade (Snapp) is seeing it well right now and has some good at bats."
Carson-Newman's (8-10) first basemen Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) had six RBI's between the two games. While Saginaw Valley State (1-6) was led offensively by Collin Winters and Jordan Swiss each had a pair of RBI's in the double header.
"I feel like we are always ready to go," Snapp said. "I feel like we are not getting down on ourselves we always have passion and energy at the end of the games, but we got to have that at the start. Whatever your role is you got to do it to the best of your ability."
Game 1: Carson-Newman 7, Saginaw Valley State 3
The Cardinals jumped in front in the first, thanks to a lead-off homer by Derrek Clyde, but the Eagles quickly evened the score in their half of the inning, when Eric Lynch (Boonton, N.J.) singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) single.
Both starters settled down for the next two frames, keeping the score at 1-1. Each squad had a chance to grab the lead, but were thwarted by the opposing starter.
Saginaw Valley loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third, but Ryan Eberle (Cookeville, Tenn.) induced a 6-4-3 double play grounder to end the frame. C-N had an opportunity in the bottom of the inning when Ryan Addington (Cincinnati, Ohio) reached third and Lynch made it to second with only one out, but Scott Sency struck out Greg Jones (Greg Jones) and Brendan Campbell (Yardley, Pa.) to escape the jam.
The visitors broke on top in the fourth after a hit batter, a double and another hit batsman loaded the bags. Jordan Swiss cashed in on the chance by lining a single through the left side to plate a pair as Saginaw Valley took a 3-1 lead.
Carson-Newman answered the call by scoring one run in the next two innings to tie the ballgame at three runs apiece after five frames on the day. Trevor Lee (Garner, N.C.) drove his second home run in as many days over the left field fence on a 1-1 fastball to tally a run in the fourth while Lynch grounded in Addington from third base in the fifth with a 4-3 putout.
In the top of the sixth inning, relief pitcher Austin Conner (Sevierville, Tenn.) struck out the first batter he faced but followed with three consecutive walks to load the bases. Mo Foster (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was called on to work out of the jam and did so by striking out one and inducing a 6-4 putout to bring the threat to a close.
Brett Langhorne (Machiancsville, Va.) led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt from Jimmy Rice (Middlesex, N.J.). Addington followed with an RBI single through the left side to put C-N ahead for the first time on the day at 4-3.
Two batters later with runners at the corners, Snapp drove his fifth home run of the season over the left field wall on a 3-0 count to bring in both Addington and Lynch. The Eagles' lead then exploded to four runs as the club exited the frame leading the Cardinals by a score of 7-3.
The lead stood until the 27th out of the contest was recorded on a 6-3 double play to escape a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning.
Picking up the win for the Eagles out of the bullpen is Foster (2-0) after tossing 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball with four strikeouts in 14 batters faced. Eberle exits his sixth start of the season with a no decision after pitching four innings of three-run baseball while Conner tallied 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball in relief.
"Mo (Foster) competed, he has really grown up a lot in his time here, he's a guy that you can depend on when he comes in," Barnett said.
Sency (0-2) was charged with his second loss of the season for the Cardinals after tallying 6.1 innings of seven run baseball. The southpaw yielded the lead in the seventh innings with the Addington single and the Snapp three-run home run. Jake Tarbell pitched the final 1.2 innings for the Cardinals in relief.
Snapp wasa the hero at the plate for C-N in game 1 with four runs driven in with a three-run home run in the contest. Addington knocked in a run as well a part of a two-hit day.
Game 2: Saginaw Valley State 8, Carson-Newman 4
Much like game one of the day, the Cardinals jumped out first quickly with two runs in the top of the first inning.
Following a leadoff double from Clyde, Collin Wilson drove in the first run of the day with an RBI single up the middle. Two batters later, a fielding error by the short stop Rice allowed Chad Carson to score from third base as all three base runners moved up 90 feet on the miscue.
Saginaw Valley topped a couple of more on in the second inning as Carson and Winters drove in two runs with RBI singles through the right side of the infield. Following a strikeout of Adam Turner, Jordan Davis (Maryville, Tenn.) surrendered another blow off the bat of Garret Soule with another run scoring hit to right center field.
Though a 2-4-2 caught stealing brought the frame to a close, Saginaw Valley State plated three more runners off four hits in the inning as the Cardinals increased their lead to 5-0 through one and a half innings.
That lead grew to 6-0 in the fourth thanks to a walk, a double, a hit batter, with the tally coming in on a double play. The last two runs of the day for SVSU scored in the sixth on a throwing error by relief pitcher, Jonathan Jacks (Fayetteville, Tenn.).
C-N had chances to get back in the contest in the third and fourth, but squandered both opportunities.
In the third inning, a walk to Addington and a single by Selitto put runners on first and second with one out, but Snapp bounced into an inning-ending double play. One frame later, Jones and Campbell walked to lead off, but Trevor Friday struck out Hunter Wood, Trever Lee and Langhorne in succession to squash the rally.
Friday would finish the day with just one hit allowed and ten strikeouts. The redshirt freshman didn't allow base runner to reach third until the final inning via a Selitto single.
The Eagles would not threaten again against Friday (1-0), who completed the day by hurling three more hitless innings to earn his first win of the season. The redshirt freshman permitted just one hit over six-plus spectacular frames. Friday racked up 10 strikeouts and did not allow a base runner to reach third until the seventh inning.
It was not until the final inning that Carson-Newman was able to dent home plate, as walks to Patton Grooms (Whitwell, Tenn.) reached on an error and Dom Leo and Jordan Hinshaw drew walks with nobody out. Eric Lynch then lined an RBI single into center.
A second run came in on a fielder's choice a batter later while Snapp drove in a pair with a single. The rally fell short, however, as Saginaw Valley avoided the double header sweep by holding on for an 8-4 win.
Taking the loss for C-N was the freshman hurler Davis (0-1) as the right hander lasted only two frames while surrendering five runs, four earned, off six hits with three strikeouts. Robert Plohr (O'Fallon, Mo.) provided two innings of relief work before handing the baseball off to Hunter Dodson (Huntersville, Tenn.), Jacks and Grant Rabbitts (Johnson City, Tenn.) who surrendered only three runs in relief.
Snapp once again leveled the big bat offensively with two more RBIs in the night cap while three Cardinals tallied multi-hit days with Winters driving in a pair.
"We still got a good situation here to take the series, we expect nothing less than to come back here and play good baseball tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day and that's the great thing about baseball," Barnett said.
Sunday will mark the final game of the four-game series with Saginaw Valley. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. with Michael Wottreng taking the airwaves at 12:50 p.m. for the Appalachian Electric Countdown to First Pitch on the Eagle Sports Network.
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