VIDEO: Lees-McRae Highlights
VIDEO: Indiana Wesleyan Highlights
VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
VIDEO: Lindsay Dean Interview
VIDEO: Jessica Morgan Interview
Carson-Newman pitching kept both squads off balance, only allowing six hits between the two contests. Only three out of 12 lead off batters managed to reach base safely and the two teams were a combined 2-for-18 with runners on base against the Eagles.
"They had good command with their pitches," head coach Kazee-Hollifield said. "This was a good testament to their mental toughness as well as their stamina and fortitude."
Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Talisa Fiame (Pacifica, Calif.) led the charge offensively on the day. Morgan had a two-RBI inside-the-park home run while Fiame went 3-for-5 with a trio of runs batted in.
Game one: Carson-Newman 9, Lees-McRae 0 (five innings)
After a 1-2-3 innings to start the day, Carson-Newman's offense revved into high gear in the second.
Brooke Ramsey (San Mateo, Calif.) led off the inning with a single smoked through the right side. She made it to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky,) single to center. However, the Bobcats' centerfielder bobbled the ball, which allowed Ramsey to roll home for the game's opening run. The Eagles loaded the bases with two out on a Talisa Fiame (Pacifica, Calif.) single down the left field line only for Haley Taylor (Strawberry Plains, Tenn.) to clear them with a booming triple to the gap in right center.
The Eagles hung another four-spot on the Bobcats in the third. A trio of doubles provided the offense for the Eagles. Howard doubled in Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) with a towering fly ball that clanked off the wall along the left field line. Howard's base knocks improved her hitting streak to 11 games.
Then Hayley Burnette (Rossville, Ga.) roped a line drive over the head of the centerfielder to plate two with two out. A Fiame double down the left field line rounded out the scoring for the Eagles in the frame.
Carson-Newman closed out its run production for the day in the fifth when Cassie Lyons (Knoxville, Tenn.) blasted her second homer of the season over the wall in left off the first pitch of her at bat. It marked Carson-Newman's 15th homer this season, and the ninth off the first pitch of an at bat.
Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) the first eight batters she faced before losing her perfect game and no-hitter in the third inning on a Sara Weatherholtz infield single to the left side of the circle. Kranz improved to 6-1 in the circle with the complete-game two-hit shutout. The win marked Carson-Newman's sixth consecutive over the Bobcats by a shutout. Kranz struckout three and walked one.
Charlie Dutton took the loss in the circle for Lees-McRae. She is 0-4 on the year after surrendering six hits and five earned runs.
Game two: Carson-Newman 5, Indiana Wesleyan 0
Carson-Newman found success in the second inning in an unconventional fashion. Howard walked to lead off the inning and made it to third following groundouts by Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) and Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.). With left-handed slapper Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) to the dish, the Wildcats pulled in their rightfielder to guard against a slap through the left side of the infield.
That left the outfield wide open, and Morgan made the Wildcats pay. She yanked a ball into the gap in left center. The ball rolled all the way to wall and allowed Morgan to touch them all with an inside-the-park round tripper.
Carson-Newman added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
The Eagles got their run in the fourth when Toppel tripled and then was able to come home on a failed pick off attempt by the catcher.
Ramsey drove in Bre Lockett (Fontana, Calif.) in the fifth with a single to left. The Eagles' scoring concluded in the sixth on a single down the left field line by Fiame that scored Morgan.
Dean got the complete game shutout in the circle for the Eagles to improve to 6-1 to start her freshman campaign. She fanned seven, her second game of her career with seven or more Ks.
Jenessa Guevara took the loss for IWU after allowing three runs and three hits in four innings of work.
Carson-Newman stays at home to play USC Aiken Tuesday at the Vick at 1 p.m. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network with a stream at cneagles.com/live.
