VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
VIDEO: Hayley Burnette Interview
VIDEO: Kristen Toppel Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After falling behind 4-0 in game one, Carson-Newman (18-6, 3-1 South Atlantic Conference) responded with 15 unanswered runs to sweep Brevard (6-10, 0-4 SAC) in a league doubleheader 12-4 in fiving inning and 3-0 Wednesday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Carson-Newman pounded out 20 hits across the doubleheader. Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.), Bre Lockett (Fontana, Calif.) and Brooke Ramsey (San Mateo, Calif.) all drove in three runs.
"I was so pleased to see us respond from a slow start," Carson-Newman head softball coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "That was one of our keys in our pregame talk. But give their pitcher some credit, it took us a little bit to catch up with her. We did a nice job hitting early in the count. We weren't getting behind on strikes, but even when we did, it felt like we were winning that battle."
The Eagles tallied nine extra-base hits on the day, including six doubles.
Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky.) and Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) combined to pitch 11.2 innings of shutout ball between the two contests.
"Our pitching has sustained us throughout this season," Kazee-Hollifield said. "Hitting's the gravy, but I feel a lot better about our defense, I really feel like we're coming around there."
Game one: Carson-Newman 12, Brevard 4
The day started squarely in Brevard's favor. C-N pitching walked four batters in the first while the Tornados dropped in a trio of hits to push the four runs across.
The Eagles were hitless through the game's first two innings thanks to the arm of Brevard's Jamie Hrobak before the Eagles got things cooking in the third. Hayley Burnette (Rossville, Ga.) walked to lead off the frame and advanced to second when Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) expertly laid down a bunt to the left of the circle to reach on an infield single.
That set the stage for Taylor who planted a bases-clearing double down the left field to bring the Eagles within two. Toppel added to the merry-go-round with a double to the wall in center and scored Taylor before she was caught in a rundown trying to make it to third.
With Lockett aboard off a six-pitch walk, Ramsey blasted a towering ball over the wall in left to give the Eagles the lead for good.
Carson-Newman added a run in the fifth on a Brevard throwing error before using a six-run fifth to end the game by run-rule in walkoff fashion for the third time this season.
An RBI double for Hayley Burnette (Rossville, Ga.) and a two-RBI triple to the gap in right center for Toppel put the Eagles in a situation where they could end the game early. With Toppel on third, Lockett lifted a high fly ball down the left field line. The ball stayed aard foot right of the left field foul pole, clipped the yellow piping at the top of the fence and bounced over for a game-ending dinger for Lockett – her team-best sixth home run of the season.
Howard took the win for Carson-Newman to improve to 2-1 on the year. She struck out three and scattered three hits in 4.2 innings of relief. Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) hurled the first third of an inning before the Tornados chased her from the game.
Hrobak took the loss for Brevard. She falls to 4-4 on the year. Hrobak gave up 11 hits and 11 runs, all earned.
Game two: Carson-Newman 3, Brevard 0
Both offenses entered into the doldrums to begin game two, but C-N would be the team to break through in the fourth.
Dean helped out her own cause after Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled up the middle to begin the inning, Dean brought her home from three bases away on a towering double to right center.
Carson-Newman kept a run off the board in the fifth when Siebert brought a ball to the plate for Burnette to put out a lead runner on a squeeze attempt.
The Eagles added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth. Lockett singled down the left field line to score Toppel, who had been hit by a pitch and then stole second. The Eagles made it a three-run game on a Ramsey double to right center.
Dean moved to 8-1 in the circle with the win. She scattered six hits in the complete game shutout. Casey Whitaker took the loss for Brevard after going the complete game.
The Eagles are back home Saturday against Catawba. First pitch with the Indians is set for 1 p.m. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network with a free high definition stream at cneagles.com/live.
