AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Carson-Newman jumped ahead early Friday afternoon and went on to claim a 9-4 victory over Augusta State in the season opener for both teams at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

The Eagles (1-0) rapped out 14 hits and took a 6-1 lead in the first five innings against ASU starter Chris Tyler. The Jaguars (0-1) pulled within 6-4 in the sixth inning after a two-run blast to left-centerfield from sophomore Shannon Wilkerson. C-N then added a pair of runs in the seventh and tacked on a run in the ninth.

Nick Achberger went 4-for-4 and scored four runs with three RBI for the Eagles. Langdon Potts, Derek Long and Cody Nix added two hits each.

Wilkerson paced ASU offensively, pounding out four of the Jags’ 12 hits. Junior DH Jorge Virguez and sophomore shortstop Tony Baker each booked a pair of hits.

Eagle starter Brett Hontz (1-0) earned the win, allowing eight hits and four earned runs in five innings with a strikeout. Michael Elliott struck out eight without a walk in four innings of scoreless relief.

A junior lefthander from Warner Robins, Ga., Tyler (0-1) yielded four hits and five runs – three earned – with five strikeouts and a walk in 4.2 innings. Junior reliever Jacob Watson was charged for seven hits and three runs in 2.1 innings and freshman righty Blake Pockrandt surrendered three hits and a run over two innings. All three hurlers were making their first appearance in a Jaguar uniform.

ASU was undone by five errors defensively, while the Eagles did not make a miscue.

The two teams wrap up their three-game set with a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Lake Olmstead Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

2008 AUGUSTA STATE BASEBALL
Carson-Newman at Augusta State
02/01/08 at Augusta, Ga. (Lake Olmstead Stad.)

Carson-Newman 9 (1-0)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Langdon Potts 2b.........  5  1  2  0   1  2  0  2   0
Mills Rogers ss..........  6  0  0  0   0  0  1  2   4
Wesley Dozier dh.........  3  1  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
Nick Achberger lf........  4  4  4  3   0  0  3  0   0
Derek Long 1b............  5  1  2  0   0  0  6  1   3
Jason Gray cf............  5  1  1  1   0  0  4  1   1
Tyler Wynn rf............  4  0  1  1   0  2  3  0   0
Cory Harless c...........  5  0  1  1   0  3  9  1   3
Cody Nix 3b..............  5  1  2  0   0  2  0  0   0
Brett Hontz p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
 Michael Elliot p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 42  9 14  7   1  9 27  9  11

Augusta State 4 (0-1)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Chance Smith lf..........  4  0  0  0   0  1  1  0   1
 David Barnes ph.........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Jorge Virguez dh.........  5  1  2  0   0  1  0  0   0
Shannon Wilkerson rf.....  4  1  4  2   0  0  2  1   0
Logan Dempsey 1b.........  4  1  1  0   0  1 11  0   3
Bryson Smith 3b..........  4  0  0  0   0  2  2  2   1
Kevin Owens 2b...........  4  1  1  0   0  2  2  2   0
Tony Baker ss............  3  0  2  1   0  0  0  3   0
Alex Sickman c...........  3  0  0  0   0  1  9  1   2
Carl Burrow cf...........  3  0  1  1   0  1  0  0   0
 Darren Swift cf.........  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
Chris Tyler p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Jacob Watson p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Blake Pockrandt p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 36  4 12  4   0  9 27 11   7

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Carson-Newman....... 010 230 201 -  9 14  0
Augusta State....... 000 013 000 -  4 12  5
-------------------------------------------

E - Dempsey; B. Smith; Owens; Baker 2. DP - Eagles 1. LOB - Eagles 11;
Jaguars 7. 2B - Dozier(1); Long(1); Wynn(1); Dempsey(1). 3B - Achberger
2(2); Wilkerson(1). HR - Achberger(1); Wilkerson(1). HBP - Dozier 2;
Achberger; Baker. SH - Wynn; Sickman. SB - Wilkerson.

Carson-Newman          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Brett Hontz.........  5.0  8  4  4  0  1 21 22
Michael Elliot......  4.0  4  0  0  0  8 15 16

Augusta State          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Chris Tyler.........  4.2  4  5  3  1  5 19 21
Jacob Watson........  2.1  7  3  3  0  2 14 14
Blake Pockrandt.....  2.0  3  1  1  0  2  9 12

Win - Hontz (1-0).  Loss - Tyler (0-1).  Save - None.
HBP - by Tyler (Dozier); by Pockrandt (Dozier); by Pockrandt (Achberger); by
Elliott (Baker). BK - Tyler. PB - Sickman.
Umpires - HP: Randy Hoback  1B: Jim Woodring
Start: 2:00 pm   Time: 2:55   Attendance: 115
Hontz faced 3 batters in the 6th.
Game: ASUB01