Eagles Pile Up Runs in Sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne, 21-5 and 11-1
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman baseball team erupted for 32 runs and 40 hits en route to a pair of wins over Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference action at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagles toppled the Bears 21-5 in game one before completing the series sweep with an 11-1 victory in the nightcap.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman baseball team erupted for 32 runs and 40 hits en route to a pair of wins over Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference action at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagles toppled the Bears 21-5 in game one before completing the series sweep with an 11-1 victory in the nightcap.
With the sweep, C-N (18-8, 9-3 SAC) moves into first place in the conference standings. Lenoir-Rhyne falls to 12-14 overall and 6-6 in league play.
In the first game, the Eagles fell just short of tying two school batting records as they pounded out 24 hits, including seven home runs. The records for hits and home runs in a game are 28 and eight, respectively.
C-N seniors Derek Long (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and Jeff Lockwood (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the way by going 4-for-6 and 3-for-4, respectively. Long delivered a pair of home runs and had four RBIs, while Lockwood crushed two homers and drove in six runs.
Junior Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.) went 5-for-5 for C-N. Corey Lamson (Gray, Tenn.) added three hits, including a home run, while Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.) also had three hits. Wesley Dozier (Cornelius, N.C.) and Morgan Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.) each produced a home run, and sophomore Aaron Vargas (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) tallied two hits and three RBIs in the win.
Lenoir-Rhyne collected 12 hits for the game, including a 3-for-3 effort from junior Brian Dice (Hickory, N.C.). Stephen Andrews (Winston-Salem, N.C.) contributed two hits and three RBIs. Dice, Andrews and Evan Taylor (Charlotte, N.C.) each hit a home run for the Bears.
C-N starting pitcher Cy Fraker (Indianapolis, Ind.) worked five innings to earn the win. The junior right-hander surrendered five runs and seven hits and had three strikeouts to move to 5-0 on the season.
Bears starting hurler Brandon Padgett (Statesville, N.C.) was tagged with the loss after giving up nine earned runs and 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings on the mound.
After the Bears grabbed a 1-0 lead on a Taylor homer in the top of the first inning, the Eagles took the lead for good in the home half of the first with a seven-run outburst, highlighted by a three-run blast by Lockwood and a two-run single by Vargas.
C-N added two more runs in the second and put the game out of reach by pushing across five more runs in the third, including two-run home runs by Lockwood and Lamson.
In the second game, the Eagles collected 16 more hits and received a solid outing from Lockwood on the mound in his first start as an Eagle on their way to defeating the Bears 11-1.
Lockwood (1-0) scattered five hits across four innings, gave up one run and fanned five batters to pick up the win. He also went 2-for-2 at the plate, including his 15th home run of the season, and had three RBIs.
Long tallied three base knocks, including his third homer of the day, and drove in three runs to lead C-N. Senior Mills Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.) finished with three hits and three RBIs, while Vargas and Lamson tallied two hits apiece. Junior Jon Dalton (Rutledge, Tenn.) added a pinch-hit home run in the win.
Lenoir-Rhyne finished with seven hits and was led by a second-consecutive 3-for-3 performance from Dice. Taylor finished with two hits, including a home run, in the loss.
The Eagles took a 4-0 lead in the second on a RBI single by Rogers and a three-run blast by Lockwood.
C-N then exploded for five more runs in the third to put the game away, as Rogers produced a two-run double off Lenoir-Rhyne starter Ben Goldston (Cary, N.C.) and Long delivered a three-run homer.
Goldston (1-1) surrendered seven runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.
The Eagles return to action on Tuesday at Maryville College. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Maryville, Tenn.
