EAGLES FALL TO MARS HILL 3-2 IN 10 INNINGS
First series loss in conference play for Carson-Newman
The Carson-Newman Eagles baseball team (13-9, 9-3 South Atlantic Conference) fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Mars Hill Lions (5-14, 3-6 South Atlantic Conference) at Henderson Field on Sunday afternoon.
With the game tied at two in the bottom of the tenth, Mars Hill’s Tyler Shuler delivered a game-winning RBI single to left field to deliver the rubber match to the Lions, as the Eagles dropped their first SAC series of the 2013 season.
Eagles reliever Ryan Fillers (1-1) took the loss, giving up the Shuler single in the 10th inning. Mars Hill reliever Zach Davies (1-2) worked the final four innings on the mound for the Lions and earned the victory.
The Lions took the game’s first lead in the last of the second with a Shawn Weber sacrifice fly that brought home Matt Mayo to give Mars Hill a 1-0 lead. Carson-Newman evened the score in the top of the fourth when a fielding error by the Mars Hill third baseman allowed Shade Jett to reach first and Zach Long scored to tie the game at one.
The game remained tied until the top of the seventh when Carson-Newman took its only lead of the afternoon. Once again a Lion error helped the Eagles, as a throwing error by the Mars Hill second baseman allowed Bryan Everhart to reach first and Kevin Franchetti scored from second to put the Eagles on top 2-1. The Lions quickly responded, tying the game in the last of the seventh with Phillip Carroll delivering an RBI single to tie the game at two.
The game remained tied until the last of the tenth. Against Eagle reliever Daniel Sharp, Evan Rogers doubled down the left field line. Three batters later with Fillers on the mound, Shuler collected his game-winning RBI single to give the series to Mars Hill.
Carson-Newman starter Quinton Yocom took a no decision. In his six and a third innings on the mound he allowed a pair of runs on six hits while walking two batters and striking out one. Sharp pitched two and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing a run on a hit while walking one and striking out two.
The Lions didn’t allow any earned runs, with starter Patrick Riehl earning a no decision after giving up an unearned run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts during his five and two-thirds innings on the mound.
C-N leadoff man Peter Rajkovich collected the only multi-hit game for the Eagles, going 2-for-5.
Carson-Newman will return home to face Belmont Abbey for a Tuesday doubleheader at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex, with the first game of the twinbill at 1 p.m. Coverage and stats of the games will be available on www.cneagles.com.
