Thursday, April 22, 2004
Carson-Newman Outslugs Presbyterian, 19-10
FORT MILL, S.C. - Nathan Gravley went 4-for-6 with four RBI to lead No. 5 seed Carson-Newman College to a 19-10 win over fourth-seeded Presbyterian College Thursday morning in the opening game of the 2004 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament. The double-elimination tournament is being held at Knights Stadium in conjunction with the Food Lion SAC Spring Sports Festival.
The Eagles (30-24-1) muscled out 21 hits, including T.J. Graves' 5-for-5 effort, while Ryan Haun and Bryan Fowler recorded three hits each. Both teams combined for 29 runs and 33 hits in the tournament lid-lifter.
Carson-Newman jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a solo home run by Graves to lead off the second inning and Charlie Munroe added his first homer of the season, a solo shot in the third.
C-N moved out to a 6-0 lead with four-run fourth frame, capped off by Fowler's two- run single down the right field line. The Blue Hose (25-24) cut into the deficit with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning as Curtis Bell (Gilbert, SC) came through with a RBI single and Robbie Parrish (Myrtle Beach, SC) posted a two-run base hit.
Both teams added single runs in the fifth inning, setting up a wild sixth frame. C-N plated four markers in their at-bat thanks to another single by Fowler and Gravely's two-run homer, his eighth round-tripper of the season. PC answered with five runs in its half of the inning to cut the deficit to 11-10. Philip Hauserman (Decatur, GA) accounted for a clutch two-out, two-run double, while three runs came across the plate when Robert Rodebaugh (Marietta, GA) looked to fly out harmlessly to right field, but the ball was dropped as the Blue Hose trimmed the C-N lead to one.
But the Eagles plated eight runs in their final three at-bats, including a four-run seventh inning, while C-N pitchers Blake Ryman and Michael Gaut held PC scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Carson-Newman starter Chad Gillis improved his record to 8-2 as he pitched five innings, allowed six hits, five runs, one earned, walked two and struck out a pair. PC's Zach Matthews (Batesburg, SC) (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season as he went 3 2/3 innings.
Rodebaugh went 3-for-4 to lead the Blue Hose, while Hauserman, Parrish and SAC Co-Player of the Year Kevin White (Spartanburg, SC) each posted multi-hit performances.
The Eagles advance to Friday morning's 9 a.m. winner's bracket game when they face the winner between top-seeded Catawba College and No. 8 Mars Hill at Knights Stadium. The Blue Hose will face the loser of Catawba/Mars Hill at 9 a.m. on Friday at Winthrop Field in Rock Hill, S.C.