LIVINGSTON, Ala. – Brayden Coe did not allow an earned run over six innings and Carson-Newman scored multiple runs in three innings to take down West Alabama 9-6 Friday evening at Tartt Field to get back into the win column after its first loss of the year.
"Coe was really good," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. " He gave us a really solid outing. I thought our at bats were really good. We had hard contact and were aggressive in the box. Shaver made good pitches that they hit. Smithson and Wright were good out of the bullpen. Overall I thought it was a clean game. We got our bunts down, played good defense and out energy level was great so we competed well."
Carson-Newman (5-1) has won five road affairs in a row and eight of the last 10 while earning its second win in the five-game series history against West Alabama (0-7). Five of the team's 11 hits came with a runner in scoring position.
Coe notched the team's second quality start of the year firing six stanzas give up two unearned runs on three hits striking out four. It was the third time in his career that the Bridgeville, Pa. native went at least six innings and did not allow a base on balls.
For the fifth consecutive game, the Eagles put a run on the board in their opening at bat. The first two hitters singled and walked and moved to third base on a walk. Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) whistled a 0-1 pitch into center field to bring in both men and put the visitors ahead 2-0.
Jordan Griffin (Ellerslie, Ga.) dribbled a ball to second base and beat the throw for an infield single to start the top of the fourth. After a sacrifice bunt, Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) laced a ball to the alley in left field to drive in Griffin and swell the lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kyler Vogler doubled, the first West Alabama hit of the day, and an error put runners at the corners with no one out. A throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt and a passed ball put the Tigers on the board before a sacrifice fly by Brayden Lyman made it a one-run game at 3-2.
Two errors and a base hit loaded the bases for the Orange and Blue in the top of the fifth before Griffin pulled a ball inside of the third-base bag to plate a pair of extend the lead back to three, 5-2.
Carson-Newman continued to play add on in the top of the seventh scoring three times with two outs to swell the bulge to 8-2. With two on base, Genter popped a ball to shallow right field that was dropped by the second baseman allowing both runners to score. Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.) flipped a knock through the right side of the infield to bring in Genter and expand the margin to six.
A walk, a hit batter and a base hit loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eight for West Alabama. After a punch out, Josh Bower yanked a ball to the wall in right field to bring in two runs. Jacob Messina followed by keeping a ball fair down the left-field line to get in two more runs and pull the Tigers back within two at 8-6 going into the ninth.
The Eagles played add on in the top of the ninth getting a sacrifice fly from Jackson. Jake Wright (Ringgold, Ga.) gave up a lead-off double in the bottom of the ninth before stranding that runner at third to earn his third save of the year.
Four Eagles finished with two hits as Genter finished the day 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored while Griffin tallied a 2-for-3 night driving in a pair and scoring three times. Jackson and Travis chipped in a couple RBIs.
Bower and Messina each collected 2-for-4 days with a pair of RBIs. Austin Goode came out of the bullpen and fanned six batters but gave up three unearned runs.
The Eagles wrap up the weekend on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. against Emmanuel and wrapping up at 4 p.m. against the Tigers.
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