Lions outlast Eagles in SAC series opener

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Mars Hill baseball team (5-10, 3-1 SAC) defeated Carson-Newman (11-6, 2-2 SAC) by a score of 14-13 Friday afternoon to open their weekend series on the road.

Tied at 13 entering the final frame, Scottie Lee's third RBI of the game was the game-winning tally, plating Tyler Lala with a sacrifice fly.  Carlton Jackson entered the contest in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save, forcing two groundball outs and a strikeout to clinch the Lions' third conference win of the season.

Mars Hill exploded offensively in the top of the first inning as Austin Treadway blasted a leadoff home run to left field.  Later in the inning with runners on second and third and one out, Casey Mawhinney's RBI single to right field scored Kameron Reynolds.  In the next at-bat, Lee's single through the left side of the infield plated Ruben Trillo to put the Lions up 3-0.  In the tail end of the frame, batting for the second time, Treadway singled up the middle, scoring Cal Hubbard who previously reached with a RBI double.

Lee recorded his second RBI of the contest with a single in the top of the second that scored Mawhinney. 

Carson-Newman went on to score nine consecutive runs over the second and third innings to take a 9-8 advantage after four innings.  Zach Bose's two-run double in the second was the highlight of a five-run inning for the Eagles.  Tyler Thompson cleared the bases in the bottom of the third with a three-run triple to tie the game at eight.  He later scored off of a wild pitch to give the Eagles their first lead of the day.

Both teams scored four runs apiece in the fifth.  Trillo's two-run double paced the Lions' offense while Thompson, as he did in the third, plated the go-ahead run off of a wild pitch.  The Eagles carried a 13-12 lead into the top of the sixth until a RBI groundout from Austin Purser knotted the game at 13 after six innings played.

The Lions recorded 20 hits on the day with Jordan Lathe leading the way, going 4-of-6 from the plate, recording two doubles and driving in one run.  Lee led all players with three RBI, going 2-of-4 from the plate.  Trillo recorded three hits in four at-bats while driving in two and scoring two runs.  Thompson led the Eagles with three hits.

Cody Cline picked up the win, allowing two runs on five hits in four innings pitched.  Hunter Long was credited with the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

The Lions return to the diamond on Saturday, February 29 for a doubleheader versus the Eagles to close out the series.  First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.