JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - - Host Carson-Newman bounced back from an early five-run deficit to score a 6-5 walk-off victory over UVA Wise in game one before claiming game two by the score of 7-3 to sweep a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader Friday afternoon.
Carson-Newman (9-4, 4-2 SAC) scored twice in the seventh inning of the opener to walk-off UVA Wise (1-7, 0-6 SAC). The decisive blow came on Brendan Krob's RBI single to plate Tyler Thompson with the winning run.
Krob's hit completed a five-run comeback for the Eagles. The Cavaliers built an early lead behind the offense of Tyler Blaum and Cole Harness. Blaum put the visitors on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third inning before Harness clobbered the first homer of his UVA Wise career, a three-run shot in the fourth inning.
Blaum pushed the lead to five when he doubled home Bret Roberts in the fifth, but the Cavs would be unable to hold the lead.
Carson-Newman scored four times in the home fifth. Micah Genter and Matt Parkinson each had run-scoring hits to make it a 5-2 affair before a two-run homer off the bat of Gunner Ricketts made it a one-run contest.
UVA Wise would appear to be on the verge of getting an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Tyler Campbell drew a one out walk to get Blaum to the plate. The senior lined a line drive toward left-centerfield for what appeared to be a two-run home run. However, the ball became lodged between the wall and an extending fence; since the ball did not ricochet back into play Campbell would be forced to stop at third on a ground-rule double.
The Eagles would then walk Gabe Wurtz to set up a double play, sending Jude Drzemiecki to the plate with a drawn in infield. Drzemiecki would hit a line drive but right at Carson-Newman second baseman Andrew Carpenter for the second out of the inning.
It would allow the hosts to get out of the inning unshaved, setting the stage for the seventh inning heroics.
The come-from-behind win by Carson-Newman spoiled a solid start by UVA Wise hurler Garrett Stiltner. The right-hander allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings of work while not allowing a hit until two outs into the fourth.
Tyler Haver earned the win in relief for the Eagles by working not allowing a run over 2/3 innings of relief work.
Game two belonged to Carson-Newman from the start. The hosts lined 14 hits and took advantage of a trio of UVA Wise errors to complete the sweep.
The Eagles led 7-0 after four innings as Henry Jackson, Ricketts and Tyler Thompson had RBI hits before Parkinson cranked a two-run homer to make it a seven-run contest.
The Cavalier bullpen would not allow a run over the remainder of the game but the offense would be unable to string together enough runs.
Clay Taylor provided the offensive highlight of the game in the loss as the freshman blasted a two-run homer, the first of his collegiate career.
Campbell and Ethan Fletcher had two hits each to pace a six-hit effort for UVA Wise.
On the mound, Carson-Newman starter Brayden Coe earned the win by striking out six over eight innings of work. Coe allowed just one run while allowing four hits and issuing two walks in improving to 2-0 on the young season.
The four-game series will wrap up tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
