Floyd’s big fly pushes No. 16/9 C-N past UVA Wise in the series opener
March 28, 2025

Floyd’s big fly pushes No. 16/9 C-N past UVA Wise in the series opener

Trailing by one run in the seventh inning, No. 16/9 Carson-Newman (25-7, 14-2 SAC) needed a clutch hit and Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) delivered. The sophomore launched a go-ahead home run over the left center wall to lift the Eagles to a 6-2 win in the series opener with UVA Wise (20-14, 9-10 SAC) on Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Trailing by one run in the seventh inning, No. 16/9 Carson-Newman (25-7, 14-2 SAC) needed a clutch hit and Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) delivered. The sophomore launched a three-run go-ahead home run over the left center wall to lift the Eagles to a 6-2 win in the series opener with UVA Wise (20-14, 9-10 SAC) on Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.

"That is a well-coached team," Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. "They have good players, they kind have taken on his personality as a coach. That is truly a good indication of a good coach. I thought their pitcher did a tremendous job, we had runners on base but Spencer Powell did a great job getting out of it. We weren't adjusting to what he was doing. Andrew (Bench) gave us quality innings to keep that game 2-0. Tanner Kilgore had a big two-out, two-strike out and then of course Floyd with the big one there. That was the backbreaker and something we needed today."

The win extends Carson-Newman's winning streak in conference play to eight games and keeps the Eagles unbeaten at home all-time versus the Cavaliers.

Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) finished with a two-hit day and a team-high three RBI to lead the offensive attack. Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) had a team-high three hits to pace a 10-hit effort, C-N's 18th double-digit hitting effort of the year.

Chances were there often for C-N in the first four frames. The first real opportunity to strike came in the second inning. The Eagles loaded the bases with one out but was unable to score any runs and left them loaded.

Back-to-back two-out base hits put runners on second and third in the fourth but the runners were left there. C-N left six on base through the first four innings.

UVA Wise scored first in the top half of the fourth inning. After a double put runners on second and third, a wild pitch on a strikeout advanced runners and made it 1-0. Matt Frye followed with a sac fly to cap the inning.

The Eagles scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kilgore poked a two-out two-strike single into left field to make it a one-run game.

Andrew Bench settled quite nicely for Carson-Newman on the mound. After allowing those two runs in the fourth, he would go on to retire nine of the final ten batters he faced to toss three consecutive scoreless innings.

That's when the offense came through with Floyd's deep fly to left field. The sophomore launched a 69-mph breaking ball 390 feet for a go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

"I think it was about seeing more pitches," Floyd said. "As the game goes on, you see more pitches and get used to some things. I made an adjustment to that at bat because I hit the ball on the ground in my first three at bats."

 

Mark Salicco (Waxhaw, N.C.) tossed a seven-pitch scoreless eighth inning thanks to an inning-ending double play and then the offense went back to work.

Frankie Delgado (Deltona, Fla.) roped a ball into right field for a RBI triple. Later in the inning, Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) singled up the middle to plate the second run of the frame to extend the lead to four.

Despite just nine strikes in 20 pitches, Eli Norris (Rinngold, Ga.) fired a scoreless ninth inning to seal the victory.

Bench earned his third win of the season, matching his career-high with five innings pitched with three strikeouts.

Carson-Newman pitching held UVA Wise to a season-low two hits. It's the third time this season and in conference play that the Eagles have held an opponent to two hits or less. It's also the 15th time in 32 games that C-N has held the opposition to three runs or less.

UVA Wise reliever Hunter Garrett gave up the go-ahead home run and suffered the loss, not recording an out in the two batters he faced.

The series continues and wraps up tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. Both games will air with a video stream available on FloSports with a subscription. There will also be a free audio stream available courtesy of the Eagle Sports Network on cneagles.com/live.

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