VIDEO: Spencer Bright Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Winning a pair of one-run games, Carson-Newman sealed a series win over No. 15/10 Lenoir-Rhyne winning game one 9-8 before walking it off in game two to pull out a 4-3 triumph in the final home South Atlantic Conference series of the year on Saturday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"It's amazing," Carson-Newman coach Tom Griffin said. "After what happened yesterday, it's a top 20 team and it was tough. We have to be the best version of ourselves, play the baseball, have great attitude and effort and have positive energy. Shaver limited the damage and Pridmore was gritty in his performance. Offensively, we had a lot of guys contribute. Getting a ball in play against that staff was important. We did a good job getting in scoring position and hustle to extend innings. Spencer Bright in both games did a really nice job."
The Eagles earn their first series win over a top 25 team since the 2018 campaign beating 14th-ranked Northwood on Feb. 18-19. It was the first time the club won a three-game set over a ranked SAC foe since sweeping No. 19 Tusculum on Feb. 15, 2013. C-N now has 47 wins over ranked teams in its Division II history including 34 under Griffin.
Carson-Newman (22-9, 14-6) has won 14 of the 17 series played in Jefferson City against Lenoir-Rhyne (34-11, 15-6) since 1990 winning the 10th in the last 11. The Orange and Blue improve to 43-14 against the Bears since the 2006 campaign.
Game One: CARSON-NEWMAN 9, No. 15 Lenoir-Rhyne 8
Blake Bean ambushed the first pitch of the game to the wall in left field to start the game coming in to score when Cole Laskowski singled on a base hit through the middle getting the scoring started, 1-0.
Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the first moving around the bases on a ground, a base hit and ground out from Mitchell Balint (Avondale, Pa.) to tie the tally at one.
After the first man was retired in the second, a hit and walk put two men aboard. Blake Bean crushed the first pitch he saw with two outs over the fence in right field to give the Bears a 4-1 lead.
The Eagles came back to tie it at four over the next two innings. Spencer Bright (Iron Station, N.C.) tallied his first hit of the year bouncing a ball through the right side of the inning to make it a two-run game in the second. Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) ripped an RBI triple to the fence in right field before scoring on a ground out by Nelson Smith (Goodlettsville, Tenn.).
"I was trying to put it in play today," Bright said. "I know my approach at the plate can get a little off but I was trying to put it in play and make something happen. It was a big key over the past few weeks."
Each team scored in the fourth with the Eagles knotting the margin at five on an infield single back up the middle by Will Gibbs (Harrisburg, Ill.).
Lenoir-Rhyne grabbed the lead in the fifth inning on a fielder's choice before the Eagles took their first lead of the day on a two-run double to the wall in right field by James Denten (Mt. Prospect, Ill.) to put the home crew on top 7-6.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back hits put runners at second and third base for Dalton McLain (Greeneville, Tenn.). The right-handed hitter dribbled a single through the middle of a drawn-in infield to drive in two and expand the lead to 9-6.
Wade Cuda led off the ninth inning with a double, the team's first hit since the fifth inning, Two batters later, Eli Willen drilled a two-run homer to center field. After a pop out, Bean was hit by a pitch before Jake Wright (Ringgold, Ga.) struck out Cole Laskowski looking.
The combination of Grif Hughes (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Wright threw the final 4 2/3 innings allowing two earned runs with five strikeouts to finish off the game.
Carson-Newman matched a season high with 15 hits with five players tallying multi-hit efforts led by Denten going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. McLain racked up two hits and two RBIs.
Lenoir-Rhyne had won 11 straight road games, the second-longest streak in the country, prior to the loss, its first in 42 days. The club allowed a season-high 15 hits in the game and lost for the first time in 21 games when scoring at least eight runs.
Bean led the visitors from the top of the order with a 2-for-4 day with three RBIs and three runs scored. Stober added three more knocks.
Game Two: CARSON-NEWMAN 4, Lenoir-Rhyne 3
On the second pitch of the game, Bean stung a ball to straightaway center field for his 17th homer of the year, the second-most in the country, to put the Bears in front 1-0.
Gibbs drew a one-out in the first stealing second base before scoring on a two-out double to left field by Balint to tie the tally at one.
The Bears answered with a run in the top of the second on a passed ball before Gibson hit a sacrifice fly to center field to deadlock the margin at two.
C-N was held to two hits until the bottom of the fifth inning tallying three infield singles. Luke Goforth (Blacksburg, Va.) hit a ball off of the pitcher to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt and a base hit he was at third base scoring the go-ahead run putting the Eagles ahead 3-2.
Hunter Harritan (Huntersville, N.C.) retired the first two batters before back-to-back infield singles. Cuda dribbled a ball into left field to tie the score at three.
Frankie Delgado (Deltona, Fla.) drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, a base hit and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Balint hit a pop-up up the hill in foul ground at first base. Trey Miller (Rocky Point, N.Y.) tagged and raced home after a ball bounced away from the catcher beginning the celebration.
Lenoir-Rhyne's pitching entered the weekend ranked fourth in the country in strikeouts per nine innings but only fanned two batters, a season low. Gibbs tallied two hits and McLain went 2-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases to finish the weekend with five hits.
The Bears tallied a 9-7 edge in the hit column as Sal Carricato was the only player on the visitors side with two hits. Braden Houston took his third loss of the year in relief.
The Eagles hit the road for the first of four to wrap up the regular season on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. visiting King.
- CN -
