SALISBURY, N.C. – Lincoln Memorial (30-21) cranked three homeruns, including a two-out grand slam, to eliminate Carson-Newman (30-18) 9-5 from the 2013 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament Friday morning at Community Park in Salisbury, N.C.
LMU roared out of the gates with a pair of dingers in the top of the first inning. After Brianna Mulkey was hit by a pitch, Kristin Toole homered to right center to put the Railsplitters up 2-0. However, LMU wasn't done. A pair of walks and a Laura Taricano single to left loaded the bases with one out.
Carson-Newman got the second out of the inning on a fielder's choice to second base that got the lead runner at home. But that only set the stage for Danae Reed, who clubbed a two-out grand slam to left center to push LMU ahead 6-0.
The homer was Reed's fourth of the year.
The Eagles would get their offense rolling along in the third with a big inning that would draw them within one.
Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled to first and Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) doubled to right center to put two runners in scoring position with no one out.
Samantha Smith intentionally walked Brittany Hefner (Talbot, Tenn.) to load the bases. An RBI-single from Sara Kelley (Ooltewah, Tenn.) to left brought Siebert in for one run. Then Shoemake scooted in on a wild pitch.
That set the stage for Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.). The junior first baseman singled to left field and advanced to third on a fielding error Sarah Walz to clear the bases and bring C-N within two 6-4.
A Bethany Davis (Nicholasville, Ky.) grounder to second rounded out the scoring for C-N to bring the Eagles within one.
However, that was as close as Carson-Newman would get.
Reed would add insurance for LMU in the fifth with her second home run of the day – a two-run blast that made it 8-5. An RBI single in the sixth from Taricano sealed the deal for the Railsplitters.
Carson-Newman concludes its season with a winning record – its 27th consecutive season with one - while LMU advances to face the winner of the Wingate – Lenoir-Rhyne contest.
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