AIKEN, S.C. – Despite scoring four unanswered runs to overcome an early deficit to take the lead, Carson-Newman allowed three runs in the eighth, all with two outs, to fall in Sunday's series finale at USC Aiken 5-4 at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
"You lose three games and two are walk-offs," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "There are some positives you get from it but when you lose three, they are finding more positives on their end. Noah Pridmore pitched well on Friday. When you lose two walk offs, there are opportunities that we had throughout the game that we didn't capitalize on. When you take a lead, you have to find a way to shut doors. We will come back tomorrow for practice and get ready for two midweek games this week."
Carson-Newman (1-3) drops the three-game series against USC Aiken (3-0) as the Pacers have won five in a row in the series, the longest string by either side since Aiken rattled off 10 straight in the late 1990s. Sunday was the 23rd time in 41 contests between the programs that the final differential was two runs or fewer.
The Pacers scored in each of their first two trips to the plate starting with back-to-back doubles by Justin Byrd and Jackson Hannon with one out in the first inning. A ground out by Jose Hernandez in the second put the home club on top 2-0.
Mitchell Balint (Avondale, Pa.) opened the fourth inning with a base hit to left field moving around the bases on an error and a ground out to get the Eagles on the board.
In the fifth, the Eagles loaded the bases with no outs but mustered only one run on a double play ball that brough the team clubs level at two.
Carson-Newman made it four unanswered runs tacking on a pair in the eighth to go ahead 4-2. Balint and Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) doubled to lead off the frame. Back-to-back sacrifice flies from Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) and Ryan Potts (Dandridge, Tenn.) produced the scoring.
A base hit and a walk opened the bottom of the eighth for USC Aiken to set the stage for a three-run inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, a five-pitch walk brought in a run. On a 0-2 pitch, James Eckert slashed a double down the right-field line to bring in a pair and put the Pacers on top 5-4.
In the top of the ninth, Cade Burkey (Knoxville, Tenn.) drew a lead-off walk moving to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a ground out before a grounder to third ended the affair.
Balint scored twice as one of the three Eagles with a multi-hit day going 2-for-5. Potts and Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.) also notched a pair of knocks.
Seven Pacers recorded at least one hit in the game with each of the three, four and five batters tallying a pair of knocks. Jacob Fletcher hurled five innings giving up one earned run fanning three.
The Eagles return back to the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex to square off with Milligan on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the first of two midweek games. Broadcast coverage airs with video on FloSports with a paid subscription with an audio-only stream available on cneagles.com/live.
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