VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
VIDEO: Kristen Toppel Interview
VIDEO: Danielle Kranz Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (13-3) used a five-run sixth inning in game two to salvage a doubleheader split with Concord (5-8) Monday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex. The Mountain Lions picked up a 5-0 game-one shutout win before the Eagles rallied to take game two 9-5.
Kristen Toppel's (Roanoke, Va.) star shone brightest for the Eagles offensively. Toppel hit .667 for the series with a triple, a solo home run and nine total bases.
"Toppel gave us a lift in game two," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "We weren't in attack mode at the start, but she helped us get in that with a home run and a triple. We came out sluggish in my opinion. But back-to-back hits gets this team going. That's why the first game was so frustrating. I compliment Concord's pitcher, but we weren't aggressive enough at the plate."
Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) for all intents and purposes went the distance in both games, throwing 238 pitches between the two contests. She took the loss in game one before relieving Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) after four batters in game two. Kranz matched her career high in strikeouts in the second game, fanning 10 Mountain Lions.
Game one: Concord 5, Carson-Newman 0
Errors and runners left on base haunted the Eagles in game one against the Mountain Lions. C-N left 11 runners stranded on the day and made four errors leading to a pair of unearned Mountain Lion runs.
Concord got its scoring started in the second when Courtney Purtell doubled to lead off the frame before coming into a score on a throwing error by Kranz in the circle when she tripped on a teammate who was sliding in front of her diving for the ball.
The third saw Concord add two runs to its lead. Alayna Furr tripled to lead off the inning and came into score on a Lacy McDougall fielder's choice. The Eagles' tried to go home to put an out on Furr, however, Elayna Siebert's throw was late.
An Alyssa Morris double to left plated Whitney Carrigan from first to round out the scoring for the inning.
The Mountain Lions got some extra insurance in the fifth when McDougall scored on a throwing error by Siebert at first. Kristin Benvenuto added an RBI single to set the margin at 5-0.
The win is the first for Concord in the series' brief three-year history.
McDougall collected the win in the circle. She surrendered nine hits, but struck out three. She retired 12 Eagles via ground balls.
Game two: Carson-Newman 9, Concord 5
Carson-Newman started in a four-run hole after a half inning when Alyssa Morris cleared the soccer press box beyond the fence in right center field to propel the Mountain Lions to a 4-0 advantage.
The Eagles would steadily chip away at the lead until a big sixth inning put Carson-Newman on top for good.
C-N small-balled a run back in the first when Bre Lockett (Fontana, Calif.) singled, advanced to second a sacrifice and came in on a Haley Taylor (Strawberry Plains, Tenn.) single through the left side.
Carson-Newman got another run back in the third when Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.) knocked her first career home run over the fence in right center.
The Mountain Lions got a run back in the top of the fourth off a Lauren Lewis jack over the wall in right.
The Eagles trimmed the deficit to a lone run when Brooke Ramsey (San Mateo, Calif.) cleared the bases with a double to the wall in left center with two out. Toppel scored easily from third after her triple, while Taylor rambled in from first after she had walked.
Carson-Newman brought the offensive onslaught on in the sixth to complete the comeback.
Concord trotted out a new pitcher in Sarah Herndon who promptly walked Siebert and hit Burnette with a pitch to put two on with no one out. The Mountain Lions pulled Herndon in favor of McDougall who surrendered a double to Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky.) to left center. Siebert scored easily from second while Hayley Burnette (Rossville, Ga.) slid under the tag of the catcher Morris to put Carson-Newman on top.
The Eagles added insurance on a Toppel sacrifice fly to center and a Ramsey RBI single to third.
Kranz collected the win in relief with her career high 10 strikeouts in tow to move to 7-2 on the season. Herndon was credited with the loss for the Mountain Lions as she was responsible for the winning run that crossed the plate.
Carson-Newman's schedule has been changed mightily this week. The Eagles Tuesday doubleheader with USC Aiken has been postponed. C-N will take on the Pacers March 25 (a Wednesday) at 2 p.m. The Eagles Thursday doubleheader with Pfeiffer has been cancelled because of the threat of snow.
The Eagles next game is a roadtrip to Bristol to face King on Saturday.
