HARTSVILLE, S.C. – In a game that lasted nearly six hours due to two separate weather delays, Carson-Newman fell behind early and could not slow down Coker's offense falling 17-4 to the Cobras Saturday at Schmotzer Stadium in South Atlantic Conference play.
The Eagles drop a second in a row to the Cobras for the first time in the history of the series and have now lost three of the last four. Coker (18-29, 7-15) produced the highest run total for either side as Carson-Newman (23-20, 14-7) loses in Hartsville for just the second time in its last eight trips.
An error and a passed ball opened the bottom of the first inning for the Cobras. Nick Leonard laced a single to center field to open the scoring. After a second error of the frame and a fly out, Zack Wall lined a double to right to plate two and extend the first-inning edge to 3-0.
Back-to-back singles kickstarted the bottom of the second inning. Caleb McCants slapped a base hit to center field and Leonard tacked on a two-run single to right field to push the margin to 6-0.
Following the restart, Mitchell Balint (Avondale, Pa.) and Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) hit sacrifice flies in the third and fourth innings respectively to trim the deficit to 6-2.
Coker loaded the base with no outs after an error at third base. Following a sacrifice fly and a ground out, Jaylen Mack doubled the fence in center field to plate a pair and push the margin out to 9-2. Leonard added a solo blast in the sixth on a 3-2 pitch over the wall in center to get the home team into double figures.
After allowing a run in the seventh, the Eagles scored twice in the eighth on a ground out and a base hit to center field by Zach Boze (Gallatin, Tenn.) making it an 11-4 contest.
The Eagles did not score again as the home team scored six times in the bottom of the eighth including a grand slam from Jacob Yarberry to left field after the second delay of the game to push the lead out to 17-4.
Coach Tom Griffin's team allowed season highs in both hits and runs allowed having given up 14 total runs in the last three games combined, all wins. Of the six hits in the game for C-N, Boze accumulated two.
Carson-Newman put the lead-off man on base in five of the nine innings but could only muster a 2-for-13 tally in the game with runners in scoring position compared to a 10-for-19 effort from the home team.
Coker was last in the conference in team batting average and the second-worst scoring team in the league but produced double-digit runs for the third game in a row. Leonard led the way going 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Wall drove in four with three hits and Mack had two hits and three RBIs.
Aaron Diaz earned the win working seven innings giving up four runs, three earned on five hits and four walks. It was the second time this year he worked at least seven innings as he has allowed six earned runs in his last 18 2/3 innings.
The regular season concludes on Sunday with a doubleheader slated to start at noon.
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