WISE - - UVa-Wise lined 16 hits, four of which went for extra bases, as Hank Banner's club halted a five-game losing streak with a 10-4 win over Carson-Newman at Stallard Field Tuesday. Senior Tye Marshall finished 3-5 with a two-run homer while sophomore shortstop Brett Yates picked up a pair of doubles in the non-conference win.
UVa-Wise (10-9) struck for a pair of runs in the opening inning as Ben Coffman's RBI double scored Ty Lighton before Marshall's RBI groundout scored Steven Klaiber. Lighton reached on a bunt single with one out in the inning before swiping second base to get in scoring position.
Lighton's bunt hit extended his streak of reaching base safely to 19 games to open his senior campaign.
Freshman Justin Zaferakis turned in the best performance of his young collegiate career as the right-hander tossed three innings of scoreless ball in his first start as a Cavalier. Zaferakis allowed a hit and a walk in his 39-pitch outing.
Leading 2-0, UVa-Wise tacked on three more runs in the home half of the third. Lighton walked to lead off the inning and scored on Coffman's second RBI hit of the day. Marshall's two-run homer accounted for the other two runs of the frame.
Carson-Newman (16-12) scored its first run of the game in the top of the fourth when Greg Jones plated two with a two-out base hit.
The Cavs put the game away in the home fifth with a five-run frame. Ryan Dickt, Vinny Kuchenbuch, Yates, Marcus Elmore and Lighton each had a RBI as the hosts took a 10-2 lead.
The Eagles picked up a pair of runs in the seventh on a Jimmy Rice RBI groundout before the visitors scored a second run on an error.
Nathan Hatmaker, Alex Dobry, Kenny Ball and Jared Finch followed Zaferakis out of the pen for UVa-Wise. Cav hurlers allowed just six hits in the win against a team that came in hitting over .300 on the season.
Zaferakis notched the first win of his collegiate career while Grant Rabbits was charged with the loss. Rabbitts allowed six hits and five runs in 2.1 innings of work.
Klaiber, Coffman, Yates and Dickt joined Marshall as UVa-Wise players with multiple hits. Yates finished 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Ryan Addington and Paul Kirby had two hits each for Carson Newman.
The Cavs will return to league action on Friday when the team visits Urbana University for a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
