SW Virginia News

CAVS SWEPT BY EAGLES

 Carson-Newman completed a three-game South Atlantic Conference baseball sweep of UVA Wise by winning a pair of games Saturday. The Eagles won game one of the doubleheader 15-11 before walking off the Cavaliers 8-7 in the series finale.

Game one saw Carson-Newman (12-11, 5-1 SAC) score in each of the game's first three innings as the Eagles laced 17 hits in the slugfest triumph.

UVA Wise (9-15, 1-5 SAC) got on the board first when Hunter Meador's RBI single plated DJ Dickson in the top of the first.

It would be the last lead of the game for Brandon Costa's team. The Eagles would score the game's next five runs as Dalton McLain, Mitchell Balint and Nelson Smith had an RBI each with Trey Miller knocking in a pair as part of the scoring rally.

Cole Harness would cut the deficit to 5-3 when the first baseman launched a two-run homer over the centerfield fence in the top of the third.

A half inning later, CN answered with two runs behind a Smith run-scoring hit and an Aiden Gibson RBI single to make it 7-3.

The Cavs would score the next four runs to tie the game. An RBI double by Justin Reed in the fourth preceded a sacrifice fly by Harness, an RBI hit from Meador and another run-scoring hit by Reed in the fifth tied the contest at 7-7.

The Eagles would quickly retake charge in the home fifth. Zach Boze doubled home a run before he later scored on a Gibson RBI single to put the hosts on top 9-7.

An inning later, CN plated five runs. Three of the runs came home on Ryan Potts' bases-clearing double before Gibbs knocked in two more to make it a 14-7 contest.

Nick Smith tacked on a sacrifice fly in the seventh to seemingly put the game out of reach at 15-7.

UVA Wise would not go down without a fight as Justin Reed, Evan Stanley, Nick Badgett and Matt Frye all had an RBI in the ninth inning to get the visitors within slam range at 15-11.

The Cavs would send the tying run to the plate with two outs in the inning but Jake Wright would get the game's last out to preserve the win.

Miller and Gibbs had three hits each in the win with Frye and Meador producing three hits each in the loss.

Game two saw UVA Wise jump out to a 7-0 lead and be unable to hold it.

Badgett led off the game with a homer before Meador later belted a three-run homer in the top of the first to help stake the visitors to a 5-0 bulge.

An inning later, Meador and Jeb Hurst each knocked in a run and the Cavs led 7-0 after 1 1/2 innings in a scheduled seven inning game.

Undeterred, CN battled back. The Eagles plated four in the home second thanks to two Cav errors and an RBI by Miller.

The score would remain unchanged until the sixth when CN got within two on a Gibbs single before tying the game by scoring twice on separate wild pitches.

An inning later, another wild pitch would bite the Cavs as pinch runner Sam Astern would score the winning run on a wild pitch completing the three-game sweep.

In the game, UVA Wise uncorked five wild pitches, hit two batters, issued three walks and committed three errors to aid a CN offense that lined nine hits.

Potts was the only Eagle to finish with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Harness and Meador had two hits each for the Cavs. Meador knocked in four runs while scoring once as part of his 2-for-4 day at the plate.

Next up, UVA Wise will host Carolina Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader. Game one is slated to start at 2 p.m.

Original source can be found here