Eagles Hand L-R First SAC Loss in Split
March 29, 2009
Hickory, N.C. - Carson-Newman shortstop Mills Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.) hit a three-run, sixth-inning home run to break a 3-3 tie and give the Eagles an 8-5 win in game two, as C-N split a baseball doubleheader with No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne on Sunday afternoon in Hickory, N.C. L-R would win the first of the two 7-inning games 10-4.
With the split, C-N moves to 17-15 on the year and 3-10 in SAC play, while L-R moves to 21-8 overall and 7-1 in league play.
Game 1 - Lenoir-Rhyne 10, Carson-Newman 4 (7)
Lenoir-Rhyne broke a four-all tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with six runs to pick up the win. Junior third baseman Michael Pleau (Vero Beach, Fla.) hit the game-winning, two-run single while junior outfielder Evan Taylor (Charlotte, N.C.) finished off the scoring with a grand slam for his fourth home run of the year.
Carson-Newman staked itself to a 3-0 lead after an inning and a half of play highlighted by an RBI double from Wesley Dozier (Cornelius, N.C.) in the second inning before L-R senior first baseman Zach Glass (Salisbury, N.C.) tied the score with a three-run home run in the Bears half of the second. The round-tripper was also Glass fourth home run of the season.
The two squads traded runs before Lenoir-Rhyne broke open the contest with its six-run sixth inning.
Lenoir-Rhyne junior Max Loveland (Bradenton, Fla.) improved to 2-0 with the win while Carson-Newmans Justin Higdon (Ooltewah, Tenn.) fell to 2-5 with the loss.
Rogers drove in two runs in the loss.
Game 2 - Carson-Newman 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 5 (7)
Rogers broke a three-all tie with a three-run home run that highlighted a five-run sixth inning as the Eagles salvaged the split.
Each team scored a run in the third inning before Carson-Newman took a 3-1 advantage thanks to a two-run home run by Tyler Wynn (LaGrange, Ga.) in the fourth inning.
Lenoir-Rhyne battled back to tie the game at three on Glass RBI single in the fifth but Carson-Newman took the lead for good in the sixth.
L-R tried to rally with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on junior designated hitter Rob Knights (Sterling Heights, Mich.) run-scoring single and Taylors RBI double to cut the margin to 8-5 but the Bears couldnt get any closer.
Carson-Newmans Ryan Hendrickson (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) (2-2) was credited with the win while Lenoir-Rhyne senior Greg Conrad (Charlotte, N.C.) fell to 4-2 with the loss. The Eagles' Corbin Ariail (Elgin, S.C.) picked up his fourth save of the year as he ended the contest in the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded.
Wynn finished with three hits and two RBI while Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.) also drove in two runs to lead the Eagles while Knight and Glass tallied three hits apiece for the Bears.
Lenoir-Rhyne next travels to Wingate, N.C., to face Wingate University in a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 4 p.m., while Carson-Newman plays at Limestone on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
