Vickee Kazee-Hollifield interview

HARROGATE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (34-18) closed its 2014 campaign with a 4-1 loss to Wingate at Neely Field Saturday afternoon on the third day of the South Atlantic Conference tournament. 

"There's no question I'm proud of our effort and our energy," Carson-Newman head softball coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said.  "I know I'm going to go home and think to myself, 'Man, we should have won a 1-0 ball game.'  We can't have the two defensive miscues that we had today.  Credit Wingate, they took advantage."

The teams swapped three scoreless innings before Wingate broke through in the fourth.   Alexis Burrell hit a routine fly ball to right, but Elayna Siebert lost the ball in the sun it dropped for a double.  The next pitch, Olivia Smith scored on a passed ball before Kayla Saliga singled to center to drive in Burrell. 

The Eagles got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Wingate starter Stacey Howser walked the basses loaded before putting Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) on first by the base on balls to walk in a run. 

C-N left the bases loaded in the frame.

RBI from Amy Wingfield and Hayley Whitley in the seventh game the Bulldogs some insurance and a 4-1 cushion.

"I really thought we played our best ball these past three games," Kazee-Hollifield said. "Wingate played us tough, especially with Howser, who didn't throw us the same pitch twice it seemed like."

Houser picked up the win for the Bulldogs, scattering three hits with four strikeouts.  The All-SAC pitcher moves to 24-8 on the year.  Cassie Lyons (Knoxville, Tenn.) took the loss for the Eagles to fall to 10-3.  She gave up nine hits and struck out two. 

The season's conclusion sees sophomore leftfielder and SAC Player of the Year Kelli Hensley (Knoxville, Tenn.) set the all-time SAC and school records for hits in a single season with 92.  Her .492 batting average is the third highest for a single year in SAC history in the second best in C-N history. 

Sara Kelley (Ooltewah, Tenn.) finishes her Carson-Newman career with 35 homers, most all-time at C-N and tied for the fifth most in SAC history.  Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) wound up with 28 career home runs, the third most in a career in C-N history.  Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.) goes down as C-N's all-time leader in putouts with 1,747 in 208 starts at first base.

For all the latest offseason updates on Carson-Newman softball, check cneagles.com regularly an follow the Eagles on Twitter @CNathletics.