WISE - - UVA Wise took two-of-three from visiting Carson-Newman in a South Atlantic Conference baseball series held at Stallard Field this weekend. The Highland Cavaliers won game one 7-2 behind a strong starting pitching performance from Justin Snider before Matt Frye's 3-run homer propelled the club to a 5-3 win in game two and a doubleheader sweep Friday. The Eagles won the series finale 10-6 Sunday behind a 13-hit effort.
GAME ONE
Snider put together the best performance by a UVA Wise (7-16, 4-5AC) starting pitcher this season. Snider tossed seven innings allowing two runs on six hits while fanning six and not issuing a walk as he won his first game of the year on the mound.
Carson-Newman (10-9, 5-4 SAC) hurlers did not strike out a single hitter on the day as the hosts lined nine hits and worked three walks in the series opener. Justin Reed led the offensive charge by going 3-for-4, including a two-run homer in the home second that gave the Cavs a lead they would not relinquish.
DJ Dickson also lined a pair of hits while David Kelliher and Hunter Anderson pitched scoreless relief out of the bullpen.
The Eagles failed to have a hitter collect multiple hits as the visitors wasted a solid outing by starting pitcher Noah Pridemore. Pridemore went 7 1/3 innings, allowed six hits and three runs over his 102-pitch outing.
GAME TWO
A trio of CN hurlers limited UVA Wise to just two hits but, Brandon Costa's pitchers were equally up to the task.
Daniel Kanagy, Kelliher and Anderson would combine to toss four innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen to help propel the Cavs to the come from behind triumph.
The Eagles took a 3-2 lead on James Denton's 3-run homer in the third inning and the score remained unchanged until the sixth frame.
With two outs and nobody on, CN appeared to be on the cusp of sending the game to the seventh and final inning holding the one-run advantage.
Reed was struck by a 1-2 pitch to keep the inning going and after Jaden Ruehling worked a walk, Frye stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the game or give UVA Wise a lead.
The outfielder did that and more as he blasted a 3-run homer over the left field wall, his first of the season, to give Costa's crew a 5-3 lead.
Anderson would work a perfect top of the seventh to give the team the series win and a four-game winning streak against SAC foes. The four-game winning streak against league foes was the longest for the baseball program since joining the SAC.
GAME THREE
The series finale featured a combined 31 hits and 16 runs and saw runs put on the board in every inning but the first.
A four-run fourth inning by the Eagles broke open a 1-1 tie. Dalton McClain delivered the big blow in the frame with a two-run homer.
UVA Wise answered back with three runs of its own in the home half of the inning. Nick Badgett, Dickson and Morgan Miller each had run-scoring hits in the inning.
The momentum was short lived as CN responded with two runs in the fifth behind a solo homerun from Tanner Kilgore and an RBI single by Trey Miller.
The Cavs scored single runs in the sixth and seventh inning to cut the deficit to 7-6 going to the eighth inning.
The Eagles put up two runs in the eighth on a Kilgore double before a solo shot by Harrison Travis plated CN's 10th run.
UVA Wise would get two on in the ninth but would be unable to score or get the tying run to the plate as the visitors salvaged a game in the series.
Badgett (2), Dickson (2) and Ruehling (3) all had multi-hit games in defeat.
Spencer Williams, Kilgore and Miller had three hits each for the winners.
UP NEXT
Costa's crew will host conference leading Coker next weekend. Please visit www.uvawisecavs.com for an up-to-date schedule based on impending weather.
