CARSON-NEWMAN OPENS SAC PLAY WITH WINS OVER BLUE HOSE
JEFFERSON CITY, TENN. – The Carson-Newman Eagles opened the 2006 South Atlantic Conference (SAC) season on a high note as they defeated the Presbyterian College Blue Hose, 3-2 and 8-5, on Saturday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.
Game 1: Carson-Newman
3, Presbyterian 2
Carson-Newman pitcher Derrick Calkin (Maryville,
Tenn.) had a hot hand both on the mound and at the plate as
he struck out five PC batters and drove in two runs to help
his own cause as the Eagles prevailed 3-2.
Carson-Newman scored first in the third inning when Langdon Potts (Jefferson City, Tenn.) drew a walk and later scored on a single by Charlie Munroe (Newton, N.J.). The Blue Hose tied the game in the fifth inning when junior outfielder Kyle Craven (Savannah, Ga.) hit a leadoff double and then scored when freshman Daniel Hill (Matthews, N.C.) singled.
The Eagles regained the lead in the home half of the fifth inning when Calkin smacked a two-run single to center field to put his team up 3-1. In the seventh, senior outfielder Nick Hoffner (Ellicott City, Md.) singled and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by sophomore catcher William Bolchoz (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.). The Blue Hose threatened to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning but the Eagles forced a game-ending double play to save the win.
Game 2: Carson-Newman
8, Presbyterian 5
Munroe
hit a grand slam to right field in the bottom of the sixth
inning to cap a Carson-Newman comeback in game two as the
Eagles prevailed 8-5.
The Blue Hose struck first when Hoffner doubled and came home later on a groundout by Bolchoz in the second inning. PC pushed their lead to 3-0 when Hoffner connected on a towering homerun to left field in the third.
The Eagles tied the score at 3-3 when Nick Achberger (Anderson, S.C.) hit his first homer of the season, this one to left field, in the fourth inning. C-N took the lead in the same inning when Calkin drew a bases-loaded walk to plate E.T. McCreary (Rockwood, Tenn.).
The Blue Hose came alive once again in the sixth inning and took a 5-4 lead. Sophomore Russell Robinson (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) tied the game when he scored on red-shirt senior Matt Bodie's (Aiken, S.C.) single to left field. Bolchoz scored Hoffner with a single to right field.
The Eagles entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 5-4 but Munroe’s grand slam proved to be the game winner. Game two ended just as the first game did as the Eagles turned a double play.
The Eagles (14-6, 2-0) and Blue Hose (8-14, 0-2) finish the three-game series Sunday at 1:00.