The Eagles are looking to string together six straight SAC wins, something C-N hasn't done since 2010 when it started the conference slate 6-0.
Carson-Newman has dominated the all-time series with the Lions. The Eagles lead it 56-4. C-N won the teams' first 44 meetings before the Lions swept C-N in the 2008 regular season.
Last year's matchups were some of the stranger ones in series history. The Eagles rallied from a five-run deficit to take game one 12-11 in ten innings before hauling in a second win in the night cap 14-13.
"Hopefully we're pitching a lot better than that," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "They've got four or five kids who can really tag the ball. We'll have to pitch extraordinarily well because of the size of their field up there."
One of the hottest bats in the Eagles' order belongs to a .220 career hitter. Catcher Hayley Burnette (the best defensive catcher in the league in runners caught stealing). Burnette has hit .385 over the Eagles' last six games. She also has a .589 on-base percentage over that span - the highest on the team.
First team all-conference third baseman Robyn Stanek leads the Lions. She has a .341 batting average wtih nine RBI. She leads MHU with three home runs.
"She's a steady ball player," Kazee-Hollifield said. "She's hitting above .340 for the year. They depend on her to knock runs in and that's what she's consistently been able to do within our conference."
After Tuesday's matchup with Mars Hill, the Eagles return home to face USC Aiken (12-4, 4-2 PBC) in a game that's already been re-scheduled two times this season.
The last time Carson-Newman and USC Aiken did battle, C-N got one of its strangest wins ever. The Eagles allowed a school record 19 hits, but the Pacers left 19 runners stranded on base and the Eagles escaped with a miracle 4-3 win in 10 innings in 2013.
"Aiken will be able to put runs on the board," Kazee-Hollifield said. "They've got big sticks throughout the lineup. Even though it's a nonconference doubleheader, these are still crucial contests for us. We need wins against Peach Belt competition to help us in region."
C-N will try to get something rolling against a Peach Belt School. C-N is 0-2 against the conference this season and 3-7 against Peach Belt teams over the last two years. The Pacers are 4-2 against SAC competition this year. They swept Queens and split with Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry.
Aiken features a top flight defense that has turned 8 double plays - 15th in the nation. Samantha "Princess" Chubb leads the Pacers offense with a .435 average and 13 runs batted in.
Coverage of Wednesday's doubleheader with USC Aiken will be available on the Eagle Sports Network with a free high definition stream at cneagles.com/live.
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