Eagles drop Wingate, 4-2
April 2, 2007
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman Eagles used a strong team pitching effort and four Wingate errors to take game 1 of the South Atlantic Conference doubleheader 4-2 Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Carson-Newman struck first jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a pair of two-out hits. Junior Nick Achberger's (Anderson, S.C.) double to right-center gave the Eagles a runner in scoring position. Freshman Derek Long's (Jefferson City, Tenn.) single up the middle scored Achberger to put the Eagles on the board.
Wingate pulled in front in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. Catcher Brian Troutman singled to right-center to leadoff the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by first baseman Jay Barnes, centerfielder Nick Siega-Riz's single to right put runners on the corners for the Bulldogs. Freshman Spencer Robinson provided the third hit of the inning. His single to left scored Troutman. The Bulldogs squeezed in the final run of the inning as Siega-Riz scored on freshman Logan Beasleys sacrifice.
The Eagles bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.
Catcher Jonathan McMahon's (Charlotte, N.C.) singled to left to start the inning. Senior Brandon Burchfield (Maryville, Tenn.) reached on an error, one of four by the Bulldogs in the game, to give the Eagles runners at the corners with nobody out. Junior second baseman Langdon Potts (Jefferson City, Tenn.) singled to right to tie the game 2-2, and the Eagles weren't finished.
Freshman Derek Long's (Jefferson City, Tenn.) sacrifice fly to right scored Burchfield. The Eagles added an insurance run when junior Jason Gray (Rutledge, Tenn.) reached on error by Wingate first baseman Jay Barnes, scoring Potts.
Matt Teague (Belmont, N.C.) tossed seven strong innings for the Eagles to pick up the win. Teague allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. Teague also had six strikeouts in the outing, as he improved to 4-1 on the year.
Tyler Almond took the loss for Wingate, but pitched well, allowing only two earned runs in eight innings.
Junior Steve Cishek (East Falmouth, Mass.) picked up the save for the Eagles, shutting down the Bulldogs in the eighth and ninth. Cishek struck out three of the seven batters he faced and was clocked as high as 94 mph in the ninth.
