Eagles Drop 7-2 Decision to No. 13 Tusculum
March 22, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman baseball team couldn't overcome Tusculum's six-run eighth inning as it lost 7-2 in South Atlantic Conference action Sunday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
The Eagles entered the top of the eighth with a 2-1 lead, but Nate Grabowski's (Pennellville, N.Y.) two-run single and Jared Richmond's (Fort Smith, Ark.) grand slam put the Pioneers ahead for good. Tusculum reliever Rob Currie (St. Charles, Ill.) then pitched two scoreless innings and did not allow a hit to seal the win and a three-game sweep of the Eagles.
With the loss, C-N falls to 16-14 on the season and 2-9 in the SAC. Tusculum improves to 21-9 overall and 12-0 in conference play.
C-N collected five hits on the afternoon led by Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.), who finished with two hits and one RBI. The Eagles struggled to produce hits with runners on base as they left the bases loaded on two different occasions and stranded 10 runners for the game.
Richmond went 3-for-4 with five RBIs to lead Tusculum, which pounded out eight hits for the game. Grabowski added two hits in the win.
Tusculum reliever Tio Mclean (Laurel Hill, N.C.) (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and did not allow a hit to earn the win.
C-N starting hurler Wes McIntyre (Chattanooga, Tenn.) (4-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs (two earned) on three hits in seven innings of work. McIntyre also walked six batters and struck out seven.
The Pioneers struck first in the top of the second inning. Sean Cotton (Mooresville, N.C.) drew a walk to lead off the inning and later scored on a Richmond single to right field to give Tusculum a 1-0 advantage.
C-N tied the game at 1-1 in the home half of the third on a run-scoring single by Patterson.
Aaron Vargas' (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) single to left field in the bottom of the sixth drove in pinch runner Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.) to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead, but Tusculum's six-run outburst in the eighth inning put the game out of reach.
The Eagles return to action at home on Wednesday against Belmont Abbey. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
