GAFFNEY, S.C. – Carson-Newman (6-2) used dominant pitching performances from Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) and Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) to collect a 4-2, 7-2 doubleheader sweep of Limestone (4-4) Saturday afternoon at Babe Ruth Field.
Kranz struck out nine in game one before Dean needed 92 pitches to hold the Saints to two runs
"Our defense has to be our number one thing to improve up," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "Dean and Kranz are doing a good job of keeping batters off balance and they're throwing hard. We've always been known for our defense, we need for it to not be our Achilles heel and we need for it to get better in that department in a hurry."
The Eagles made three errors on the day. After a pair of four-error games Friday against Erskine, that's something that still something that concerns Kazee-Hollifield.
"Long story short is that we got two," Kazee-Hollifield said. "But we've got to do a better job with our defense and with timely hits. But I'll tell you what, we're getting good pitching right now. That's what's kept us in games so far."
Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the Eagles offensively. She was 3-for-8 at the dish with a home run and a trio of runs batted in.
"Siebert came up with some big hits for us," "That was good to see. I saw a better effort today. We'll have to play hard every day because so many teams in this region have been surprising other teams.
Game one: Carson-Newman 4, Limestone 2
Carson-Newman shook off its offensive struggles against Erskine early in game one. Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) clocked a two-out solo shot down the left field line to open up the scoring for the Eagles in the first inning.
In the second, Bre Lockett (Fontana, Calif.) doubled to left with one out to give the Eagles a runner in scoring position. After Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.) put down a sacrifice bunt to move Lockett over to third, the junior raced home on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a 2-0 advantage.
Pitcher Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) ran into a spot of bother in the bottom half of the second inning. The Saints' Darrion Jamison walked to lead off the inning. Alycia Stiles was able to climb aboard safely on a fielder's choice aided by a throwing error on Kranz. Then Sydney Turner executed a perfect bunt to third to load the bases.
However, Kranz battened down the hatches and fanned Camry Taylor, Sam Thornton and Tessa Faucette to get out of the inning with zero damage done.
Limestone would finally make the Eagles pay in the third to tie the game at two. Two walks and a single loaded the based for the Saints with one out. A Stile single through the left side plated the Saints first run of the frame before Kranz walked Turner to bring in the Saints' second run and knot the ballgame.
Carson-Newman saw 10 straight batters retired before Talisa Fiame doubled in the fifth. The Eagles couldn't plate her. Nor could the Eagles offense muster a run in the sixth after a two-out walk by Brooke Ramsey (San Mateo, Calif.) and a single to left by Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky.), Limestone ended the threat on a fielder's choice to third.
C-N would break through in the seventh. Toppel started the inning by reaching on a fielding error by the Saints' shortstop. A Talisa Fiame (Pacifica, Calif.) single to left gave the Eagles two on with one out. Following a Haley Taylor (Strawberry Plains, Tenn.) lineout to third, Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) walked to load the bases. That set the stage for Siebert, who ripped a shot up the gut to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead after Toppel and Fiame scored.
Kranz collected the win for C-N to improve to 3-1 on the season. She struck out nine after fanning 10 Friday against Erskine. Kranz allowed five hits. Courtney Smith took the loss for the Saints. Only half the runs Smith allowed were earned. Smith struck out three and walked three.
Limestone was only 3-of-18 at the plate when it had runners on base.
Game two: Carson-Newman 7, Limestone 2
Carson-Newman threatened to score in the second inning when back-to-back singles by Lockett and Howard gave the Eagles a pair of runners with one out. Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, back-to-back strikeouts by Toppel and Fiame ended the threat.
The Eagles got runners aboard again in the third. Morgan laid down a bunt single to short before Siebert singled up the gut. Ramsey was able to reach on a fielder's choice as Limestone went to the plate to try to get Morgan out coming home; however, Morgan was able to evade the tag to score the Eagles' first run of the day and give Carson-Newman a 1-0 advantage.
C-N extended its lead in the fifth. Ramsey yanked a pitch over the wall in left center to push the lead to 2-0 with two out in the inning. It was her third homer of the season.
The floodgates opened up for the Eagles offensively in the sixth. A single by Dean started the frame and a walk by Toppel moved Dean into scoring position. Fiame drove a ball to straight away center to score Dean and extend the Eagles' lead to 3-0. After a Morgan strikeout, the Saints' catcher dropped the ball and rifled it over the head of the first baseman and into right field.
That play allowed Morgan to clamor aboard safely for Fiame and Toppel to score unearned. A Ramsey single to short rounded out the scoring bringing Morgan home.
Taylor rounded out the Eagles' scoring in the seventh with another RBI single to short. .
Dean grabbed the win in the circle to move to 3-1 on the year. Josie Weber took the loss for Limestone to fall to 1-3 on the season.
Carson-Newman left 10 baserunners stranded in game two. Limestone left seven on base.
The Eagles stay on the road Wednesday with a 1 p.m. matchup against GRU Augusta.
