VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (4-0) outfielder Bri Lockett (Fontana, Calif.) blasted three homers, including a grand slam, as Carson-Newman swept a doubleheader with Bluefield State (0-2) 26-0 and 14-1 Saturday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Lockett reset the school records for home runs in a single game (3), total bases (13) and runs batted in (9) while the Eagles scored more than 20 runs in a game for the eighth time in school history. The 26 runs are the third most in school history and the 26-0 final is the second largest margin of victory in school history. Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.), meanwhile matched the school record for runs scored in a single game with five.
Lockett resets the school record for total bases that was shared by Brittany Hefner and Sara Kelley at 10. The previous record for runs batted in was eight and was shared by Hefner, Kelley and Whitney Hickam. Toppel ties a 22-year-old school record for runs scored.
"It couldn't happen to a better kid," coach Vickee Kazee-Hollfield said of Lockett's day. "She's the kind of young lady that just can get everybody else fired up, ready to play and plays extremely hard. But she is a very strong hitter, so it's good to see that from her."
Game one: C-N 26, Bluefield State 0
Carson-Newman got the offense rolling in the first inning with the help of some Bluefield State defensive miscues. Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.) walked with one out then took second and third on a pair of passed balls before coming in to score on a wild pitch to give the Eagles an opening 1-0 lead. With Brooke Ramsey (San Mateo, Calif.) on third after a wild pitch, Haley Taylor (Strawberry Plains, Tenn.) ripped a single through the left side to score Ramsey.
Lockett rounded out the scoring in the first by crunching a two-RBI inside-the-park home run, the first for C-N since Taylor collected an inside-the-park round tripper in Kazee-Hollifield's 1000th career victory against Limestone.
After Kranz fanned the side in the second on 10 pitches, Carson-Newman got back to work offensively in the second. A Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) single to begin the frame produced a run when Toppel knocked in Morgan with an infield single to first.
After Toppel advanced to second on an Amanda Cokely wild pitch then Siebert brought her home with a double to center. After a Ramsey line out to third, Taylor clocked her first homer of the season over the fence in center to give C-N an 8-0 edge.
The Eagles tagged on another multi-run frame in the third with a school-record 16 runs in an inning. Lockett clobbered her second homer of the day, this time clearing the fence in center to score two. When the dust settled in the third, Carson-Newman had scored seven runs before it made its first out. A grand slam from Lockett the next time she came up and a solo bomb from Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky.) pushed the Eagles' lead out to 24-0.
All told, Carson-Newman had 16 runs off 10 hits and three Bluefield State errors in the third inning.
"It's just so nice to get out there and express and show what we have been working so hard for in the fall in the games. It's so nice and adjust and react," Lockett said.
A two-run fourth closed out the scoring for the Eagles in the run-rule win.
Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) collected the win in the circle for C-N. She pitched four complete innings and fanned seven Blues against no walks. Kranz struck out half of the batters she faced and threw 33 strikes among her 47 pitches.
Game two: Carson-Newman 14, Bluefield State 1
Carson-Newman jumped out of the gates on Bluefield State offensively with a two-run first. After back-to-back batters struck out to begin the inning, the Eagles put together a little two-out rally. A walk, a single and a stolen base gave the Eagles a pair of runners in scoring position. Taylor popped a ball through the middle to drive in both runs and give the Eagles' an opening 2-0 advantage.
Bluefield scored its first run of the twinbill in the top half of the second on a Chelsey double to center.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the third until the Eagles had its second third-inning explosion of the afternoon. C-N hung a nine-spot on the board that was capped off by a Ramsey two-run home run that cleared the trees beyond the left center field fence. In total, the Eagles scored nine runs on seven hits and one Blues' error.
In the bottom of the fourth, Carson-Newman put three more runs on the board from three RBI singles from the bats of Howard, junior Talisa Fiame (Pacifica, Calif.) and Ramsey.
Taylor finished the second game with four RBIs and Toppel and Ramsey both contributed three RBIs.
The Eagles return to action next Friday as they travel to Erskine for a double-header with the Flying Fleet.
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