JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Opening South Atlantic Conference action, Carson-Newman committed six errors on the day and had the game-winning run thrown out at the plate in the nightcap falling 8-2 and 4-2 in nine innings to No. 1 Wingate on Saturday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"Game one, right from the first inning we had five freebies between walks, passed balls and two errors," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "You cannot go against a club like that. It's like the first drive you fumble, they score. It's way too many mistakes against a good club. It was an uphill battle. You had some chances for a double play and you throw it away. I thought we were tentative. They feel pretty confident but our guys were not sure. I thought a little tight.
"Game two, really good job. Hunter Harritan and Jake Wright in relief were outstanding. At that point you were thinking give yourselves a chance to win it. We did. You couldn't ask for a better situation with a lead-off double and the top of your lineup up. It's perfect but their guy was able to get out of it. They get the same situation and you know what happened."
The Eagles had not dropped a SAC-opening series since 2017 winning three and tying one in that stretch until Saturday. Carson-Newman (10-4, 0-2) has now lost 11 of its 12 chances to beat a ranked Wingate (12-1, 2-0) team in the series history. The Orange and Blue dropped the SAC opener for just the third time in the last 10 years.
Game One: No. 1 WINGATE 7, Carson-Newman 1
It was an ominous start with two walks, an error and a passed ball to start the day for Wingate's lineup. Logan McNeely ripped an RBI single into right field to start the scoring. Jed Bryant hit a sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-0. The Eagles escaped the inning on a fly ball to center and McNeely was doubled off of third base losing track of the outs.
Once again miscues came back to haunt the Eagles in the fifth. An error on a bunt attempt put two men aboard before an intentional walk loaded the bases. Despite falling behind 0-2, McNeely clobbered a grand slam to left field on a 1-2 pitch. The Bulldogs added a run on a Ricky Clark single after a slip in center turn a single into a triple to make it 7-0.
Austin Mitchell retired the first 12 batters of the game before walking Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) to start the fifth. Kilian Daughtry (Simpsonville, S.C.) doubled to right-center field to put runners at second and third. Matt Parkinson (Whitesboro, N.Y.) put the home crew on the board with an RBI ground out to pull the Eagles within a 7-1 margin.
With one out Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.) legged out an infield single in the sixth. Following a strikeout, Jordan Griffin (Ellerslie, Ga.) lined a ball to center and Jackson sprinted around the bases to score and chisel into the deficit making it a 7-2 affair.
In the top of the eighth, Andrew Motsinger deposited the first pitch he saw over the wall in right field to get the lead back to six at 8-2.
The Eagles were held to fewer than five runs for the first time this year mustering four total hits on the day. Griffin tallied his 10th multi-hit game of the season going 2-for-4 in the game.
Brayden Coe (Bridgeville, Pa.) took the loss, his first since March 7, 2020, allowing seven runs, six earned, over 4 1/3 innings on six hits and four walks striking out three. The bullpen allowed just one run on three hits with five strikeouts.
McNeely paced the charge for the Bulldogs going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and a run scored while Motsinger reached base four times going 2-for-2. Mitchell won the fourth time this year punching out eight batters over seven innings giving up two earned runs on three hits and a walk.
Game Two: No. 1 WINGATE 4, Carson-Newman 2 (9 Innings)
Wingate saw the first two batters reach before moving to second and third base on a strike three passed ball. Bryant grounded out to shortstop to open the scoring at 1-0.
In the bottom of the first, the first three batters of the game reached safely with Griffin dribbling a single back up the middle to score Jackson and tie the score. After a double play, Daughtry rifled a ball into the left-center field alley to put the Eagles on top 2-1.
The Bulldogs tied the score on an infield single to third base by Bryant and loaded the bases with one out. Hunter Harritan (Huntersville, N.C.) came out of the bullpen and fanned two straight batters to keep the score tied at two.
In the fourth inning, Seaver King was standing on third base with no outs when Guy flew out to left field and Jackson threw out King at the plate to keep the game level.
After Wingate stranded the bases loaded in the seventh, Carson-Newman's best chance came in the bottom of the eighth. Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) started the inning with a lead-off double down the left-field line before moving to third base with one out. With the infield in, Gunnar Ricketts (Hixson, Tenn.) hit a bouncer to second and Genter was thrown out at the dish.
Conversely, Andrew Motsinger doubled to open up the Wingate half of the ninth. After a ground out, McNeely tattooed a ball inside of the pole in left field for a home run to give the Bulldogs a lead it would never relinquish.
Between Harritan and Jake Wright (Ringgold, Ga.) the duo fired 5 2/3 scoreless innings fanning seven giving up just one run. Jackson was the only Eagle with two hits as the team had two hits in the final eight innings after three in the first.
The Bulldogs left 11 runners on base in the game and finished with six total knocks. Motsinger paced the crew going 3-for-4 with three runs scored as the lineup also drew nine walks.
Sam Broderson scooped up the win firing four shutout innings striking out five and allowing just one hit. Wingate's pitching allowed just three base runners in the final eight innings.
The two clubs wrap up their series on Sunday at 1 p.m. from the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex for a contest that will air on cneagles.com/live on the Eagle Sports Network.
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