Diamond Eagles Sweep Conference Opener

SALISBURY, NC -- Carson-Newman swept a weekend series with 20th-ranked Catawba in their South Atlantic Conference baseball opener. The Eagles won by the scores of 9-7 and 5-3 to improve to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in the SAC. The Catawba Indians fall to 6-6 and 0-2.
Catawba took a 7-4 lead after six innings of the opener Derek Long capped a four-run third for the Eagles with a two-run single, and Carson-Newman put up its second four-run frame of the day in the seventh to take the lead for good. Brandon Burchfield and Nick Achberger each had RBI doubles to pull C-N within 7-6 and Long tied the score with a sacrifice fly. Tyler Winn put the Eagles on top with a two-out, pinch-hit double to plate Achberger.
Jason Gray and Langdon Potts had two hits for the Eagles. Logan Simmons earned the win in relief, while Mark Carroll earned his third save with two scoreless innings of relief. Catawba used a Carson-Newman error to plate a pair of runs in the first inning of the nightcap. Jerry Sands hit a sacrifice fly and Chad Baker singled home a run. The Tribe extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth as Matt Walker singled home Baker, who had led off with a double.
The Eagles got a run back in the fifth on a RBI groundout by Potts then took the lead in the sixth on a three-run, pinch-hit homer by Michael Brown. Cole Draughn earned the win for the Eagles, allowing five hits in five innings.

The Eagles, (7-4, 2-0) will host Mars Hill in a three game series Feb. 24-25 at the Silver Diamond Complex.