HARROGATE, Tenn. – Despite scoring multiple runs in the first inning of both games, Carson-Newman's pitching staff could not maintain the lead losing 19-6 and 8-5 in a doubleheader to Lincoln Memorial at Lamar Hennon Field on Saturday in South Atlantic Conference action.
Carson-Newman (14-6, 4-4) drops its first SAC series of the season as Lincoln Memorial (8-13, 3-5) captures an eighth consecutive series against the Eagles dating back to 2011.
Game One: Lincoln Memorial 19, Carson-Newman 6
The Eagles exploded for five runs in the top of the first inning getting RBI singles from Mike Wroth, Chris Caldwell, Mark Treadway and Bryce Hanley to open the scoring and go ahead 5-0 before the Railsplitters stepped to the plate.
LMU scored the next 16 runs starting with a pair in the bottom of the first. The Railsplitters scored four times in the third with two doubles tying the tally at five before a wild pitch brought home Nate Stinson to give the home crew a 6-5 lead.
In the fourth, C-N conceded 10 runs on a hit by pitch and two ground outs before seven came in with two outs in the inning. Two singles and three doubles pushed the cushion out to 16-5.
Henry Jackson got the Eagles back into the run column in the fifth with a double to left field to score Caldwell and make it a 10-run affair.
The Railsplitters scored two more times in the sixth on a double from Stinson and a single to left field by Sam mast to get the margin to 19-6.
The Eagles went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position but LMU had 21 such at-bats converting nine times as the lead-off man reached four times. C-N only put the lead-off man on base once in nine innings.
Coach Tom Griffin's group committed three errors posting nine hits on the day. Caldwell, Jackson and Treadway each tallied a pair of knocks with Treadway driving in a pair.
Brayden Coe was hit with the loss for second straight conference start giving up eight earned runs over three innings throwing 68 pitches. C-N used seven pitchers on the day with Will Crain tossing two scoreless to end the game in his C-N debut.
Brent Richey led the offense for the home team with a 2-for-5 day with five RBIs and three runs scored. Stinson was not far behind with a 3-for-5 effort driving in four and scoring thrice.
After Hooper Mills gave up five runs in two thirds of an inning, the next three pitchers fanned nine giving up four hits and one run over the next 8 1/3 on the rubber.
Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 8, Carson-Newman 5
Once again C-N started hot scoring twice in the first frame on a sacrifice fly to center from Caldwell and a single to right field by Jackson to go ahead 2-0 before the 'Splitters stepped to the plate.
Richey tripled and Stinson singled in the bottom of the inning to pull even at two. C-N scored in the next two innings on a base hit from Gunnar Ricketts and a sacrifice fly down the right field line to score Jackson and give the visitors a 4-2 edge.
Lincoln Memorial scored the next six runs scoring four times in the fourth and twice in the sixth to go on top 8-4. A solo homer from Malik Kyle in the sixth cut the margin to 8-5 but the Eagles mustered one more base runner the rest of the night.
Ricketts went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Jackson posted two of the team's nine knocks on the day.
Stinson polished off a 4-for-4 effort with four RBIs and a run scored as the two hitters in front of him each scored twice.
The two teams will finish out the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch with live stats available on cneagles.com/livestats and video available on cneagles.com/live.
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