GAFFNEY, S.C. – Brett Langhorne hit a pair of home runs including the go-ahead blast in the seventh as Carson-Newman cranked out 13 hits to win a slugfest over Pfeiffer 13-10 Saturday evening at Founders FCU Stadium.
"In the first game today, Kyle Cagle and Ethan Goforth were really good together giving us a great start," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "In the second game the fact that we overcame some of our errors says a lot about us as a team. After losing twice on walk-offs last night, to bounce back like we did today showed a lot about our mental toughness."
Langhorne ended the day 2-for-4 with four runs batted in while scoring three times. He did not record a steal for the first time in 2018 but reached base three times.
Saturday's affair marks the eighth time in the last 10 meetings between Carson-Newman (2-2) and Pfeiffer (0-2) that the winning club has required double-digit runs.
Pfeiffer wasted no time in the top of the first striking for three runs off of C-N starter Jordan Davis (Maryville, Tenn.). Derek Perry hit a lead-off rountripper to center field. A single from Jordan Eckard and a triple Kirby Lambert made it 2-0. A sacrifice fly from Bryan Kowalski to left field brought home Lambert to complete a strong opening frame.
Not to be outdone, Carson-Newman scored five in the bottom of the first to take a 5-3 advantage as eight men went to the dish. Langhorne walked and Brendan Campbell (Yardley, Pa.) singled to open the inning. Cade Snapp (Seymour, Tenn.) walked to the plate and cranked a three-run blast over the left-field fence.
With two men on base and two outs, Cal Smith (Kellar, Texas) ripped a double down the right-field line to plate a pair and put the Eagles on top 5-3. Smith was thrown out trying to get to third base to end the inning.
C-N played add on in the bottom of the third inning with three runs to push the margin to five runs at 8-3. Snapp doubled down the right-field line to start the inning and scored on a ground out to shortstop by John Sharpe (Franklin, Tenn.). RBI singles from Tyler Thompson (Hixson, Tenn.) and Matt Bradley (Talbott, Tenn.) brought home a pair.
The Falcons put a dent into their deficit in the top of the fourth with three runs to close the gap to 8-6. With two men on and one out, Lambert trickled a ball into left field to bring home one. Two batters later, Christian Marciano ripped a two-run double off of the fence in center field.
2⃣ ��
— C-N Athletics (@CNathletics) February 4, 2018
3⃣ Runs scored
4⃣ RBIs
Brett Langhorne had a day leading @CNBaseball to a late night win. pic.twitter.com/sA1M0wl8PZ
Defensive miscues allowed Pfeiffer to tie the score in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Sharpe at short and Langhorne at third made throwing errors conceding a pair to make it an 8-8 contest.
Pfeiffer surged into the lead with a two-out, two-run single to left-center field by Damon Smith in the top of the sixth inning. It was 10-8 Hawks.
Langhorne led off the bottom half of the sixth and launched a home run over the right-field fence to pull the Eagles within a run to start the comeback.
With two outs and runners at first and second base, Bradley trickled a ball back up the middle past the outstretched glove of the shortstop into center field to tie the score at 10. On a 2-2 delivery, Langhorne clubbed a ball into the night sky that cleared the right-field scoreboard for a three-run blast to put C-N ahead 13-10.
Each member of the starting nine notched at least one hit for the first time this season as Snapp finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Morgan and Bradley each tallied multi-hit efforts as Bradley and Smith had two RBIs apiece.
Griffin used seven different pitchers in the game as Ryan Victory (Brentwood, Tenn.) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames with two hits allowed to earn the win. Will Gardner (Morristown, Tenn.) slammed the door shut in the ninth with two strikeouts to notch the save.
Marciano anchored the Falcons offensively with a 4-for-4 line with two RBIs and a run scored. Perry, Lambert and Smith each registered a pair of knocks.
Griffin's group opens the doors to the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex with a three-game series against Virginia-Wise starting Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Eagle Sports Network will have wall-to-wall coverage on cneagles.com/live with video and audio streams available.
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