MISENHEIMER, N.C. - The Carson-Newman Eagles (24-8) clubbed five home runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Pfeiffer Falcons (10-13) Sunday afternoon at Jack Ingram Field. The Eagles took game one 7-0 and hit four homers in a 10-2 win in game two.
"After yesterday, I was hoping we wouldn't have a letdown," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said of today's effort. "We played hard. We played aggressively and hit the ball extremely well."
GAME ONE - Carson-Newman 7 Pfeiffer 0
The Eagles soared out of the gates plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore left fielder Kelli Hensley (Knoxville, Tenn.) led off the game with an infield single. With one out, senior third basemen Sara Kelley (Ootlewah, Tenn.) tripled to left field to bring home Hensley. Senior shortstop Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) grounded out to plate Kelley and give the visiting team a 2-0 advantage.
Hefner clubbed a home run for the second straight day on a 1-0 pitch after Kelley drew a walk to double the Carson-Newman lead to 4-0. Hefner's fifth home run of the season tied Kelley for the team lead this season.
Sophomore right fielder Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) lined a double to left center field and Hensley singled to start the sixth stanza. Freshman center fielder Jeanie Perucci (Duluth, Ga.) grounded out as Siebert crossed home plate on the play. Two batters later, Hefner drove in her fourth run of the game with a single to left field. An RBI single from senior first basemen Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.) capped the scoring for the day in a 7-0 victory.
Sophomore pitcher Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky.) tossed a complete game for the second straight day tossing seven scoreless frames while allowing four hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Howard improved to 11-5 on the year in her eleventh complete game of the season.
Hensley went 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Kelley went 2-for-3 with two walks, one RBI and three runs scored. Hefner went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and a run scored.
GAME TWO - Carson-Newman 10 Pfeiffer 2 (6 Innings)
Back-to-back round-trippers by junior center fielder Cassie Lyons (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Kelley in the first inning put the Eagles on top 2-0 after an inning of play. The blast for Lyons was the first in her career.
Leading 2-1 in the top of the third inning, the Eagles exploded for four runs. The first three batters in the frame drew a walk. Siebert and Hensley scored on a double to left field by Kelley to extend the lead to 4-1. Lance drove home Lyons and Kelley scored on a wild pitch to make it a 6-1 game.
Pfeiffer scored a run in the bottom of the third inning, but once again Carson-Newman responded with a crooked number. With two outs, Hensley reached on a infield single and scored on a double by Lyons. Kelley clubbed her second home run of the game on a 0-1 pitch to make it a 9-2 contest.
Siebert led off the top of the sixth inning with her second long ball of the season to give the Eagles an eight-run lead.
Lyons and Kelley each tallied a multi-hit game with Lyons going 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored while Kelley with 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored.
Sophomore pitcher Kalyn Davis (Danville, Ky.) tossed her tenth complete game of the season to improve to 11-3 on the year. Davis worked six innings allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
"We need to settle in," Kazee-Hollifield said about the upcoming South Atlantic Conference games. "When we get runners in scoring position, we need to bring them in. We need to outhit and outpitch at this point in the season. We need to play our best ball from here on and out and take it one game at time."
Carson-Newman is back in action on Wednesday afternoon when the Mars Hill Lions come to Mossy Creek for a doubleheader. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 2 p.m. with coverage on the Eagle Sports Network.
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