Eagles split one-run games, win series over Newberry
March 28, 2026

Eagles split one-run games, win series over Newberry

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. –Carson-Newman (19-13, 10-11 SAC) and Newberry split a pair of one-run games on Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagles walked off the Wolves 4-3 in ten innings in the first game, and then lost 6-5 in the series finale.

VIDEO: Game One Highlights

VIDEO: Tom Griffin Interview

VIDEO: Ryan Bolton Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. –Carson-Newman (19-13, 10-11 SAC) and Newberry split a pair of one-run games on Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. The Eagles walked off the Wolves 4-3 in ten innings in the first game, and then lost 6-5 in the series finale.

"The goal is to win a series," Carson-Newman head baseball coach Tom Griffin said. "That's what you are trying to do and we won this series. Generally speaking, what you are looking for is how we are playing and how are we handling things. We've got to talk about some things and be better from it. Fortunately, they allowed us to get some runners on and then some big hits by (Aiden) Gibson). Ryan Bolton with an outstanding job coming off the bench and doing what he did in those two situations in game one."

Carson-Newman's win in the series opener secured a third straight series win in South Atlantic Conference play. The Eagles have won 10 of their past 12 contests after beginning March 1-3.

Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) was marvelous all weekend at the plate for Carson-Newman. The senior infielder finished the series eight for 11 at the plate with five RBI to lead the Eagles. Colton Evans and Ryan Bolton were the only other Eagles with multi-hit days for C-N in the doubleheader.
Game One: Carson-Newman 4, Newberry 3 (10 innings)

It was a pitcher's duel early. Starting pitchers Ryan Higgins and Nick Riedel traded zeroes through the first three frames, with both teams stranding two runners early on.

Newberry's offense was the first to score in the fourth. After an early out was recorded, the Wolves offense came up with back to back singles to put pressure on Higgins in the fourth. After a walk loaded the bases, a Luke White bunt single started the scoring with one out. Two more runs scored on a single and a walk to make the score 3-0 with just one out in the frame. C-N's defense came up big for Higgins, turning a 4-6-3 double play to limit the fourth inning damage.

The Eagles offense never really could solve Reidel. Their first hit off the freshman pitcher wasn't until the sixth inning, a leadoff single from Maddox Greene (Deep Gap, N.C.). C-N stranded runners in the sixth and seventh innings and stayed down three after seven innings.

After a scoreless eighth inning from Harrison Shelton, C-N's offense would get some help from Newberry to tie the game. A fielding error started the inning and then Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) doubled to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Ryan Bolton (Knoxville, Tenn.) put the Eagles on the board, poking a single into right field to make it 3-1. A second error by Newberry gave C-N another run, a dropped fly ball kept one out on the board in a one-run game. The last run in the eighth scored on a passed ball to level the tally after eight frames.

A hidden ball trick aided a scoreless ninth for C-N. With a runner at second and one out, Kyle Adams (Gordonsville, Tenn.) and the Eagles performed a hidden ball trick, with the pitcher Adams faking an errant throw into center field. The trick worked perfectly, fooling the Newberry pinch runner who was caught stealing to end the ninth inning threat.

The Eagles moved the winning run all the way to third base with one out in the ninth inning, but were unable to drive the run in and the game went to extras.

Adams tossed a second scoreless frame to give the Eagles a walk off chance in the 10th. Bolton delivered again for Carson-Newman. The junior hit a soft flare into shallow right, with Newberry's right fielder missing the diving attempt, allowing Bolton to scamper all the way to third with his first career triple to open the 10th inning. Sebastian Rodriguez (Greensboro, N.C.) would finish off another late inning rally. The rookie poked a fly ball to deep enough in left, scoring Bolton on a sac fly to walk off the Wolves for the second time in three seasons.

"Was just trying to keep it simple," Bolton said. "The year hasn't gone the way I've wanted it to start out, but just trying to get back to the basics and keeping it simple. It's important to stick to your strengths and the basics to do what I was able to do."

Kyle Adams' two scoreless innings earned him his second straight win on the mound. He is the first Eagles pitcher to win multiple games in a conference series since Ryan Eberle won the first two games in a series with Wingate on April 14-15 of the 2017 season.

Newberry's reliever Cayden Hansen suffered the loss. Starting pitcher Nick Riedel was marvelous, going 7 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and all three runs he allowed were unearned.

Game Two: Newberry 6, Carson-Newman 5

In game two, the two teams flip-flopped roles from the first game of the day.

The Wolves jumped in front in the opening inning on a Keilor Osbon RBI groundout, but the next three innings belonged to C-N.

Patience at the plate paid off in the first. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rodriguez drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game at one.

Carson-Newman loaded the bases for the second straight inning to start game two. With the bases loaded, Greene dribbled into a double play that scored a run to make it 2-1. Bradley Soto Diaz (Davenport, Fla.) added a second run in the second with a RBI single into right to make the C-N lead 3-1.

Carson-Newman's fourth consecutive run came in the third on a Jacob Rogers (Dandridge, Tenn.) RBI single through the right side to push the Eagles' lead out to 4-1 after four innings.

Back to back one-out swings put Newberry in front in the fifth. Finn McLaughlin doubled to right to score two and Campbell McCurry drove in two with a single into right to put the Wolves ahead 5-4.

They would tack on a valuable insurance run in the sixth on a Keilor Osbon groundout to lead by two entering the last inning.

The first two batters of the seventh were retired, but a pair of freshman kept the inning alive. Rodriguez singled and Matthew Bishop (Leesville, S.C.) lifted a pinch-hit single into right center to bring the winning run to the plate. Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) poked his seventh hit of the weekend into left field to make it a one-run game and stand as the winning run at first. Bolton was unable to be the hero twice, flying out to end the game.

"We were tired," Griffin said. "It was a long weekend and I think our guys were just tired in general and just didn't have the necessary energy to get through it. We had a chance there late and that's all you want. We played that way late and were so fatigued and dragging. The fact that we were able to do that in the seventh shows a lot about our club."

McCain Mangum suffered his first career loss, allowing two of the four runs that scored for Newberry in the fifth inning.

Mason Brady's three scoreless innings earned him his first win of the year. Two-way player Kelior Osbon recorded the final nine outs to finish off the game and earn his first save of the year.

Carson-Newman continues this eight-game homestand versus King on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. A video stream of the contest is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/flobase. The game can be heard on cneagles.com/live. Fans can also watch the radio crew at work with a feed of press row on YouTube. 

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