February 8, 2025

C-N stays unbeaten with 3-1 win over Trevecca Nazarene

For the first time since the 2020 season, Carson-Newman baseball is undefeated through seven games.

Trevecca Nazarene

2-4

Carson-Newman

7-0

Final

Trevecca Nazarene

Carson-Newman

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview

VIDEO: Jackson Underwood Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the first time since the 2020 season, Carson-Newman baseball is undefeated through seven games.

Carson-Newman (7-0) outlasted Trevecca Nazarene (2-4) in a pitcher's duel, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.

"That's a quality win," Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. "I think all wins are quality that is why we enjoy all of them. For us to come out today after sitting around and waiting, I thought the guys handled it really well."

The Eagles have matched the program's best start in modern history (since 1990) with a seventh straight win to begin 2025.

"It's nice, its better than being 0-7 for sure," Griffin said. "It's all about playing one game at a time, it's a cliché but it is so true. They are going to enjoy this win, because you work hard to get them."

The Trojans were playing the second half of a true doubleheader having just finished up dismantling Charleston (W.V.), 18-10 in a barnburner, the opposite of C-N's game with the Trojans.

Carson-Newman struggled to get the bats going early on as it was held hitless through the first two innings, with the only baserunner being Nicholas Castellana (Seminole, Fla.) who was plunked on the second pitch of his plate appearance. Eagles starter Bransen Angel (Lutz, Fla.) shut down TNU marking the first time this season. Carson-Newman hadn't seen a run scored in the first or second innings of a ballgame.

The trend finally broke when Trey Miller (Rocky Point, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch and driven in on a RBI double down the right field line by Ryan Jenkins (Winter Haven, Fla.) on a controversial safe call at the plate that Trevecca Nazarene protested, but was unsuccessful in changing the umpire's decision.

It didn't take long for the Trojans to respond when Brett Dingess launched a home run to left field tying the ballgame on a 340' shot onto the banks of Mossy Creek.

In the fifth, Griffin turned the ball over to Food City Player of the Game Jackson Underwood (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) who turned in four shutout innings only allowing four hits throwing 47 pitches for 28 strikes and a strike percentage of 60%.

"The key was Underwood today," Griffin said. "I thought he was tremendous with all three of his pitches."

Underwood escaped some tricky situations including a bases-loaded situation with two outs in his first inning in the fifth, inducing a groundout to post another zero in the Trojans line score. After escaping the jam in the fifth the Trojans never got a runner to third base for the remainder of the game.

The 1-1 stalemate broke in the bottom of the seventh as Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) blooped a single just inside the right field foul line scoring Ryan Bolton (Knoxville, Tenn.) from scoring position. The next batter Tanner Kilgore (Kingsport, Tenn.) laced a two-bagger down the left field line scoring Julian Hines (Glendora, Ca.) injecting a jolt of energy into the home dugout.

Closer Eli Norris (Ringgold, Ga.) earned his second save in as many appearances this season, putting the Trojans down in order in the top of the ninth including a strikeout to leadoff the inning and set the tone.

Bolton paced the late-game offense for the Eagles going 2-4 on the afternoon with both hits coming in the later innings, while Jenkins, Kilgore, and Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) cranked the only extra base hits for the home side on the day, all doubles.

Underwood earned his first collegiate winning decision to advance to 1-0 on the season dropping his ERA down to 1.50 with Saturday's performance. Norris earned his second save of the season slamming the door in the ninth.

Trevecca Nazarene reliever Nick Judd was charged with the loss, his second of the season after taking a losing decision in relief last weekend against Lenoir-Rhyne. He allowed both seventh inning runs to C-N allowing four hits in three innings of work.

Carson-Newman is back in action in a non-conference clash against Tusculum on Tuesday in Greeneville, Tenn. at Pioneer Park. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. Tusculum enters the contest 2-5 coming off a four game split against Illinois-Springfield. A free audio stream available courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network on cneagles.com/live with Andrew Rogers on the call.