Thigpen's shutout closes out sweep of Mars Hill, 6-5 and 2-0
MARS HILL, N.C. – Carson-Newman College completed a three-game sweep of the Lions in South Atlantic Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon at Henderson Field. The Eagles won the first contest 6-5 in extra innings and then won the nightcap, 2-0. Mars Hill fell to 16-21 overall and 7-11 in the SAC. C-N improved to 15-19 on the season and 11-7 in the league.
Mars Hill fell to 16-21 overall and 7-11 in the SAC. C-N improved to 15-19 on the season and 11-7 in the league.
Game 1: C-N 6, MHC 5 (8 innings)
Evan Patterson singled down the left field line to score Jonathan Dalton for the game winner in extra innings as the Eagles won the first game on Sunday, 6-5.
MHC scored the first runs of the game in the third inning after Dalton Hardee doubled to plate Jarrod Payne and then Michael Bueker scored on an Eagle error.
C-N took a 3-2 lead in the fourth frame on three hits and one Lion error. Patterson drove in two of the runs on a single to center and then Cody Nix doubled to left field to drive in Wesley Dozier. MHC then took a 5-3 advantage in the fifth inning scoring three runs of their own on one hit and one C-N miscue. Christian Diaz had a two-RBI double in the at-bat.
C-N tied the contest in the seventh inning on three hits. Lance Rorex singled up the middle to score Troy Zawadzki and Nix.
In the final inning, Patterson drove in Dalton with a single down the left field line. Dalton reached on a single to lead off the inning and was moved to third base on a double by Dozier.
Patterson accounted for three of the Eagles RBI. Lance Rorex went 1-4 with two RBI. Lucas Mohon, Patterson and Nix had two hits apiece. Ryan Fillers picked up the win (2-3) throwing the final two innings in relief.
Diaz led MHC going 2-4 with a run scored, a double and two RBI. Payne also had two hits and scored once. Greg Smith took the loss (2-3) on the mound for the Lions.
Game 2: C-N 2, MHC 0
The final game was a low scoring affair as single runs scored by the Eagles in the first and fourth inning was all the offense the contest would see. The game saw complete game outings by Carson-Newman's Robby Thigpen (5-2) and Mars Hill's Tim Crawford (0-4). Crawford allowed just three hits in the loss. Thigpen scattered seven hits and struck out five batters in his shutout performance.
Dozier homered to center field to account for the Eagles first run and Dalton scored on a sacrifice fly by Nix to record the second run of the game.
Dalton Hardee went 3-4 at the plate to lead the Lions at the plate. Diaz was 2-2 at the plate or MHC.
Carson-Newman returns to action Wednesday as the Eagles host Lander University. First pitch is at 3 p.m.
