JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Picking up where it left off yesterday, Carson-Newman (20-16, 13-8 SAC) swept a doubleheader with Anderson (17-19, 7-14 SAC) to sweep its first South Atlantic Conference series of the season with 4-3 and 15-6 wins on Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
"That first game was really good," Carson-Newman head baseball coach Tom Griffin said. "That was a good ball game from both sides. Hughes and Harritan, that duo was really solid in allowing us to keep that lead in a pitcher's duel from both teams. In game two the offense did a great job. Williams, Denten and Floyd were solid all day. We responded pretty well after the pickoff attempt that ended up in center field and that they scored two runs off of. The guys responded offensively and on the mound from Ryan Higgins who has been really solid. You have to pick up your teammates, when things happen and fortunately we did that this weekend."
With the series sweep, Carson-Newman won its 1,000 game in its program's history and has won six of its last seven SAC matchups. Coach Griffin has coached 521 of those 1,000 wins.
"It's a blessing from God," Griffin said. "It's all a blessing for me to be in this position. It goes back to Gary Rundles, giving me the opportunity to be a part of his staff and grow as a person, spiritually and as a coach. Being around guys like Coach Sparks, Coach Hollifield, I've been around a lot of great people and great mentors. This university is great that it allows us to do grow with the faith part of it."
James Denten put together one of his best hitting weekends of the season, going five for nine at the plate and driving in nine runs in the series. He capped it with four hits and four RBI in the doubleheader.
"Just relaxing at the plate," Denten said. "I was sticking to the process to make sure I have good rhythm and timing and not try to do too much. In the past, I have kind of struggled in big situations to try and do too much. I put a good swing on balls this weekend and good things happened."
Logan Floyd was the only C-N hit er to have multiple hits in both games of the series, with two in each and three RBI as well. Spencer Williams and Nicholas Castellana had two hits days and drove in four and three runs each respectively.
Game One: Carson-Newman 4, Anderson 3
AU did not hit the ball out of the infield and managed to score two runs. Back-to-back infield singles followed by a sacrifice bunt put runners in scoring position with one out. That was followed by an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead after one.
Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) launched his ninth home run of the season over right field on a 2-0 pitch to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) followed with a single and an error that got him to second base. Nicholas Castellana (Lancaster, N.Y.) tied the game with an RBI single into left center to drive in his eighth run of the season.
AU took the lead back on a Gray Wells sacrifice fly to lead 3-2.
C-N regained the lead thanks to quality hitting to start the inning. Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) and Dalton McLain (Greeneville, Tenn.) started the frame with a single and a double to put runners in scoring position for James Denten (Mt Prospect, Ill.). The designated hitter fell behind 0-2 in the count but battled in the at bat and drove a 2-2 pitch back up the middle to put Carson-Newman back ahead 4-3 in the third inning.
Straight up the middle, @DentenJames puts the Eagles up one!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 6, 2024
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From the third inning on, it was all about the pitchers and defense. Both clubs put runners in scoring position in the fifth inning but both were able to escape the inning unscathed.
Relivers Grif Hughes (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Ryan Brash each threw 1-2-3 scoreless sixth innings and it stayed a 4-3 game.
Anderson threatened to tie or take the lead in the seventh inning. A leadoff single led to the runner eventually getting all the way to third base with just one out. But Hughes clutched up and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end AU's chance in the seventh inning.
Hughes did it again in the eighth inning. After a one-out single, he recorded back-to-back punchouts to strand yet another AU runner on base.
Into the ninth inning, Hughes retired the first batter of the inning but allowed a one-out double to Kevin Sosa. The Eagles turned to Hunter Harritan (Huntersville, N.C.) who got a groundout and a fly out to end game and strand two more Anderson runners in the ninth. It was the senior's eighth save of the season.
The series belongs to the Eagles. @Grifh79 and @HHarritan slam the door shut to lock up the win.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 6, 2024
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Hughes finished by throwing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball out of the bullpen with six strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the season.
Game Two: Carson-Newman 15, Anderson 6
Wells continued his solid series at the dish by singling back up the middle to give AU the early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The Eagles took advantage of a throwing error in the first inning. McLain reached on an error and Denten moved him to third after a double. Floyd drove the runners in with a long single to right field to tie the game at 1. A hit by pitch and a fielder's choice scored two more runs with the bases loaded and it was 3-1 Eagles after the opening inning.
Denten continued his excellent hitting weekend with a double to right to score McLain to make it 4-1 C-N after two innings.
The Trojans got a run back with three straight singles with two outs to make a 4-2 game in the third.
Castellana answered back for Carson-Newman in the bottom half of the third. The catcher launched his third home run of the season over the left field wall and the Eagles lead increased to 6-2 after three.
✌️ @Nick_castellana
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 6, 2024
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AU got a run back in the fourth on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to make it 6-3. Two more runs would score later in inning on a failed pickoff attempt compounded with an error allowed two runs to score and it was 6-5 after the top of the fourth inning.
Travis extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a double off the wall in left field.
After a scoreless top of the fifth inning, C-N broke the game open in the bottom of the inning. Williams singled in a pair of runs with a base hit back up the middle. With Denten batting, Williams stole second and Nathan stole home with the throw going to second base and it was 10-5 C-N. Denten finished his at bat with an RBI single to score Williams. Two batters later, Floyd doubled to center field to plate two more runs and cap a six-run fifth inning for Carson-Newman.
Carson-Newman put the finishing touches on the series sweep as Williams crushed his fifth home run of the season over the right field wall with two outs in the sixth.
Ryan Higgins (Spotslyvania, V.A.) earned his first career win by throwing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen along with four strikeouts.
Carson-Newman stays at home for a Tuesday midweek contest against Alabama Huntsville at 3:00 p.m. The contest will air on the Eagle Sports Network with video available on FloSports with a paid subscription and an audio-only stream on cneagles.com/live.
