Vickee Kazee-Hollifield postgame interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (28-14, 7-9 SAC) dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Anderson (33-9, 11-5 SAC) 8-0 in five innings and 13-2 in seven Wednesday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
The Trojans, who lead the league and are top five in the nation in home runs, belted out five through the doubleheader.
"We didn't have pitching and our bats weren't working," Carson-Newman head softball coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "It's tough to win a ballgame on just defense. We have to regroup and we have to regroup quickly here in the thick of conference play."
Kelli Hensley (Knoxville, Tenn.) provided the best moments for C-N offensively. She extended a hitting streak to 10 games and hit her nation-leading ninth triple of the season.
Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) drove in her 27th RBI of the year with her sixth career triple.
The Eagles 11-run loss in game two was the second largest margin of defeat in school history. Only a 13-1 loss to Lee in 1991 beats it. The 17 hits the Eagles allowed are also the second most surrendered in school history.
Game one: Anderson 8, Carson-Newman 0 (five innings)
Anderson jumped on Carson-Newman in game one, racing out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings before sealing the run-rule victory with a two-run fourth.
The Trojans got things started on a Courtney Czentnar sacrifice fly to center. Abby Child the scored on a passed ball from third. Bri Cason hit a looping infield single that kicked off Jessica Morgan's (Ooltewah, Tenn.) glove as she dived face first to try to make a play on the ball. Cason got an RBI on the play as Danielle Swygert scored. Rebecca Martin scored on the throw home after the ball had dribbled behind the circle.
Carson-Newman wouldn't advance a baserunner passed first in the game.
Katelyn Howser fired the complete game, two-hit shutout to improve to 12-4 on the year. Howser struck out two and didn't walk anyone. Cassie Lyons (Knoxville, Tenn.) took her first loss to fall to 4-1 on the year. She surrendered 10 hits, walked five and fanned four.
Hensley and Haley Taylor (Strawberry Plains, Tenn.) had the only hits for C-N. Czentnar drove in three runs to lead the Trojans.
Game two: Anderson 13, Carson-Newman 2
Game two started far better for C-N, but finished far worse. The Eagles held a 2-1 lead through two innings before the Trojans exploded for 12 unanswered.
C-N got its runs off a Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) triple over Czentnar's glove in right and a Taylor single up the gut.
The Trojans started their assault pounding out 13 hits over the final four innings. A Charlotte Sieber homer to center and a Swygert homer the same direction to set the final margin at 11 runs.
Kalyn Davis (Danville, Ky.) surrendered all 17 hits and took the loss to drop to 12-6 on the year. Howser pitched six innings of two-hit, shut out ball in relief of Lauren Rudesheim who was chased after an inning of work.
The Eagles hit the road Saturday for a doubleheader at Newberry.
