ANDERSON, S.C. – Down 5-0 in game one, the Eagles scored eight of the final nine to win 8-6 before the pitching staff shut down Anderson's offense in a 2-1 game two win as Carson-Newman wrapped up the regular season by winning its third South Atlantic Conference series in the final month of the year.
"It was good to come back after Friday," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "We needed that. All of our senior hitters had a really good day and I was happy to see that for them. Our defense was solid. We were trying to limit Matt Bradley but he was cruising. Hunter Harritan needed a game like today and it was good to see him back in form. Overall it's a great way to push us into the conference tournament."
The Eagles close out the regular season with a sturdy 14-6 road record. The win total was the most by the program since racking up 15 in 2012 and it is the best winning percentage since Griffin took the reins in 2006. It secured a fifth consecutive winning SAC slate.
Carson-Newman (27-22, 12-11) has won 14 of the last 20 meetings with Anderson (22-23, 8-16) and each of the last six series played between the two programs.
GAME ONE: CARSON-NEWMAN 8, Anderson 6
The Eagles sent the minimum to the plate in each of the first two innings with the Trojans getting on the board first on a base knock by Brayden Owens to open the home team's account.
Anderson exploded for four runs in the fourth to blow the game open at 5-0. Kye Andress started the scoring with a base hit to left field. A bases loaded walk brought in the second run before a fielder's choice and an error put the Eagles in a hole.
Carson-Newman was hitless until the sixth and ignited a monster rally in the seventh scoring six times to jump ahead by a run. A hit batter and a walk with one out set the stage for Gunnar Ricketts (Hixson, Tenn.) to get the club on the board with a knock to right field. An infield single by Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.) made it a three-run game. With the bases juiced, a walk and a hit batter pulled the Eagles within a run before Andrew Carpenter (Morristown, Tenn.) slashed a single to right to put C-N on top 6-5.
Nick Vella tied the score at six with a lead-off homer to right field in the bottom of the seventh. However, Jordan Griffin (Ellerslie, Ga.) answered with a dinger of his own to open the eighth. Kilian Daughtry (Simpsonville, S.C.) punctuated the comeback with an RBI single to put the team ahead 8-6.
C-N's bullpen fired six innings give up two runs striking out eight highlighted by three flawless innings by Jake Wright (Ringgold, Ga.) striking out six.
Each team finished with nine hits with Jackson leading the Eagles lineup going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored out of the lead-off slot. Daughtry and Carpenter each drove in two runs.
Joseph Cottone started the game for the Trojans fanning six batters over 6 1/3 innings giving up two hits but walking four surrendering three earned runs. Three hitters had a multi-hit game with Jackson Van Ness providing a pair of RBIs.
GAME TWO: CARSON-NEWMAN 2, Anderson 1 (7 Innings)
Griffin's group carried the momentum into game two with Micah Genter (Jasper, Tenn.) singling to right field with one out in the top of the first inning. An error, a stolen base and a ground out put the club on the board to go ahead 1-0.
C-N added to its advantage in the third when Jackson drew a walk to ignite the frame before moving to third base on a pair of ground outs. Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) punched a base hit through the right side of the infield to make it a 2-0 affair.
It stayed that way until the sixth when Justin Fox doubled to open the inning rolling in to score on a base hit to left field by Vella. Hunter Harritan (Huntersville, N.C.) was summoned from the bullpen getting three ground balls before working a 1-2-3 seventh to seal the victory and earn his third save of the season.
Matt Bradley (Talbott, Tenn.) collected his seventh win of the year firing four shutout innings scattering three hits striking out one to improve to 7-0 on the season.
The Eagles managed three hits on the day with Travis driving in a pair. Anderson mustered five hits from five different players.
Andrew Imperatore fell to 2-6 despite yielding one earned run over 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts giving up three hits and three walks.
Carson-Newman will be the No. 7 seed in the SAC Baseball Championships and set up a meeting with sixth-seeded Lincoln Memorial Thursday night at Smokies Stadium with game time set for approximately 7:30 p.m. in the play-in portion of the tournament.
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