SALISBURY, N.C. – No. 14 Carson-Newman (32-14, 19-8 SAC) scored just two runs, suffering a pair of losses in a doubleheader against No. 12/11 Catawba (32-12, 22-5 SAC) on Saturday afternoon at Newman Field.
“Struggled offensively is an understatement,” Carson-Newman head coach Tom Griffin said. “Part of that is pitching and they (Catawba) have a good staff. That is a really good club and one that has been successful. We didn’t choose very well in our at bats. The strike zone got expanded because of our hitters. We chose some really bad pitches. The offense was bad today on a lot of fronts. It’s tough because this was a great opportunity for this program after winning yesterday’s opener. Felt like we let the series get away.”
The series loss is just C-N’s second series loss this season, both of which have been on the road and this month.
Logan Floyd (Adairsville, Ga.) was C-N’s most productive hitter in a lackluster offensive effort, recording three of C-N’s five hits between the doubleheader. He extended his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest since Jordan Griffin’s streak of 19 games early in the 2022 season. Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) drove in both runs on the day.
Game One: #12/11 Catawba 4, #14 Carson-Newman 0
Both clubs had chances to score in the opening inning. C-N’s Floyd singled with two outs, but was left at first. Catawba put a pair of runners on base with two outs but left them there in a scoreless first inning.
The game stayed scoreless through three innings, with both teams managing just two baserunners.
Catawba scored with two runners in scoring position in the fourth inning. Matthew Connolly tripled to center field to plate two runs to make it 2-0.
The Indians lead extended in the bottom of the fifth inning. Cole Hales grounded out with runners in scoring position to score a run and it was 3-0 after five frames.
C-N’s offense went five innings without a hit, until Floyd barreled up a fastball and doubled to left field with two outs. A two-out walk put two runners on base, but they were left there.
Offensively, the Eagles only had one baserunner in the final three innings, a leadoff walk to Floyd in the ninth inning.
Catawba added a run of insurance in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Nathan Chrismon infield single.
Jackson Underwood (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) suffered his second loss of the season, allowing two runs on three hits in four innings of work on the mound.
Brock Culpepper (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) gave C-N 3.1 innings out of the pen, allowing two runs and four hits.
Catawba’s Casey Gouge earned his fifth win of the season, firing six scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
The shutout is Catawba’s 7th of the season, tied for the most in DII this season.
Carson-Newman was shutout by a South Atlantic Conference opponent for the first time since March of 2023.
Game Two: #12/11 Catawba 4, #14 Carson-Newman 2
Struggles at the plate seemed to erase C-N’s mind as game two got underway. Ryan Jenkins (Winter Haven, Fla.) singled, Spencer Williams (Seymour, Tenn.) reached on a fielding error and Floyd singled to load the bases with nobody out. The Eagles only scored one time though, on a Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) sac fly to make it a 1-0 game.
Kolton Casson (Benton, Tenn.) got assistance from his defense to pitch a scoreless first inning. The freshman got an inning-ending double play to keep the Eagles ahead.
Catawba tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. Connolly singled through the left side with two outs to tie the game at 1 after two innings.
After the hot start at the plate, Carson-Newman struggled to regain its form at the dish.
Catawba starting pitcher Austin Fine retired 14 straight Eagles hitters, including four straight 1-2-3 innings to keep the game tied at one.
Casson did his part, tossing scoreless third and fourth innings but the Indians would get to him in the fifth inning. A base hit and a walk had Catawba in business with one out and it came up with three consecutive RBI singles. Those three hits scored three runs and the Catawba lead was 4-1 after five innings.
Catawba reliever Hayden Simmerson continued to frustrate C-N’s hitters, putting together a 1-2-3 sixth inning to keep a three-run lead intact.
Indians pitching retired 17 straight C-N hitters until Cole Nathan (Knoxville, Tenn.) finally broke up the stretch to start the final half inning. The sophomore launched a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the year to cut the deficit to two runs. Aiden Gibson (Cleveland, Tenn.) followed by working an eight-pitch walk to bring the tying run to the plate. C-N had three chances at the plate with the tying run on base but did nothing with it and dropped the series finale.
Casson suffered his first career loss, going 5.2 innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits with just three strikeouts.
The loss is the first time this season that Carson-Newman has lost the series finale.
Fine collected hjs sixth win of the year, allowing just one run to score on two hits. Simmerson recorded a six-out save for his 11th of the season.
#14 Carson-Newman turns its attention to the final week of the regular season which begins on Tuesday at Emory & Henry. First pitch from Emory, Va. Is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.