Casson’s pitching leads C-N to series win over Railsplitters
Falling in the first game of the doubleheader, No. 21 Carson-Newman (14-4, 7-2 SAC) responded well in game two by getting another spectacular pitching performance from Kolton Casson to win the series finale and the weekend series over Lincoln Memorial (9-9, 4-5 SAC) on Saturday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (10) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 1 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | X | 12 | 10 | 2 |
VIDEO: Kolton Casson Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Falling in the first game of the doubleheader, No. 21 Carson-Newman (14-4, 7-2 SAC) responded well in game two by getting another spectacular pitching performance from Kolton Casson to win the series finale and the weekend series over Lincoln Memorial (9-9, 4-5 SAC) on Saturday at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Carson-Newman has won its first three conference series' for the second time in the past three seasons and has now won ten of the past 12 meetings with the Railsplitters.
The loss in game one of the doubleheader does snap Carson-Newman's best home start in school history at 10 consecutive wins to start the home slate in 2025.
Game One: Carson-Newman 7, Lincoln Memorial 10
"The first game was a tough one," Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. "I thought their starter did a great job. He located the ball well and it was tough to hit. We made a little too many mistakes in that first game. They did a good job with their hitting and pitching. It an uphill battle, but we did get ourselves back into the game. When you're behind that much and you get yourselves a chance to win, that is all you can ask of your club."
The Railsplitters jumped ahead early. Austin Epperson, the second batter of the game, launched a home run to straight away center field to start the scoring. Sam Mast drove in a run with a single to left and LMU led 2-0 after one.
Carson-Newman managed just two hits in the first three innings and scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. The Eagles had two runners in scoring position with one out but came up empty.
LMU answered back next half inning. Epperson came all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to score three runs and it was 5-1.
Next inning, Kasten Harvey doubled with two outs to plate a run to increase LMU's lead.
C-N's rally would start in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and third, Trey Miller (Rocky Point, N.Y) drove in a run with an infield single. Three batters later with the bases loaded, Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga) singled back up the middle to score two runs. The fourth and final run of the inning scored on a passed ball and it was a 6-5 game after seven innings.
Harvey delivered a run of insurance in the eighth with his single through the left side and it was 7-5 LMU.
Pressure was applied in the bottom of the ninth by the Eagles. Back-to-back one-out hits put runners on second and third. After a strikeout, it was all up to Floyd to extend the game and he did just that. He grounded a 2-1 pitch through the left side of the infield to level the game at seven apiece, forcing extra innings.
The Railsplitters took momentum right back from C-N, scoring three times in the top of the 10th inning, capped off by a Harvey two-run homer.
C-N loaded the bases with one-out in the bottom half but came up empty in extras.
Floyd and Miller each had four-hit days for Carson-Newman at the plate, with Floyd driving in four runs.
Mark Salicco (Waxhaw, N.C.) suffered his first loss. The reliever went 1.1 innings allowing three hits and two runs and recorded strikeouts for all four of his outs.
Carter White was the winning pitcher, going 2.2 innings allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Aiden Carter recorded his second save with the scoreless 10th inning.
Game Two: Carson-Newman 12, Lincoln Memorial 2
"The tone was set by Kolton (Casson) on the mound," Griffin said. "What a tremendous job and mound presence this kid has. He got himself out of some situations. When the game was close and a big hit puts the game tied, he pitches out of it. Seth Benner was big with the home run to kind of open it up for us. It's a good series win against a good club and that is all you are looking to do to get into the postseason."
Casson faced trouble early. A fielding error and a single put runners on first and second with nobody out. He retired the next three hitters, the final two with strikeouts to escape the jam.
The Eagles jumped in front in the bottom of the first. Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) lifted his first home run of the season over the right center field wall to make it 1-0.
LMU got the leadoff batters on base in the next two innings but stranded runners and Casson was up to five strikeouts after three scoreless innings. His biggest jam was the top of the third, in which he gave up a leadoff double and back-to-back four-pitch walks to load the bases with zero outs. The freshman started a 1-2-3 double play and then struck out CJ Dugan to blank the Railsplitters again.
C-N loaded the bases in the bottom of the third and it resulted in a run. Ryan Bolton (Knoxville, Tenn.) plated a run with a RBI groundout and Carson-Newman was ahead 2-0 after three complete frames.
After another scoreless inning from Casson, the offense picked him up. Floyd drove in his fifth run of the day with an infield single and it was 3-0. Next up was Seth Benner (Morganton, In) who broke the game open. He launched his second home run of the season down the right field line, a three-run bomb to make it 6-0 Eagles after four innings.
A 1-2-3 fifth inning from Casson, followed by him escaping another bases loaded jam in the sixth led to C-N exploding for a six-run sixth inning.
The first four batters walked to begin the inning, while the first seven batters reached base. A wild pitch scored the first run of the inning. Pinch-hitting, Tanner Kilgore (Kingsport, Tenn.) singled into left center to score Benner and Floyd to make it 9-0. Two more runs scored in the frame on passed balls and wild pitches to make it 11-0. The crooked frame was capped off by a Jenkins single to left field to make it 12-0 after six innings.
Carson-Newman only had two hits in the six-run sixth inning. LMU walked six guys and hit another, handing out seven free passes in the inning and let C-N score three times on a passed ball or wild pitch.
In his fifth career start, Casson improved to an impressive 5-0 after six scoreless innings in which he struck out seven batters, one off his career high. Dating back to his last start, the Benton, Tenn native has tossed ten consecutive scoreless innings. Casson forced LMU to strand nine runners on base in his six innings of work.
Floyd continued his spectacular day at the plate with three more hits in game two. Between both games, the sophomore infielder went seven for eight at the plate and drove in five runs.
LMU starting pitcher Colin Murphy suffered the loss in 3.1 innings. He allow five earned runs on eight hits and let up two home runs.
Archer Wong-Shasteen went 4 for 4 at the plate in a losing effort.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Tuesday afternoon in Nashville against Trevecca Nazarene. First pitch between the Trojans and Eagles is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
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