WINGATE, S.C. – Wingate (22-14, 9-5 South Atlantic Conference) overpowered Carson-Newman (28-10, 10-4 SAC) with a pair of run-rule shutout sweeps over C-N Saturday afternoon at the WU Softball Complex.
The losses move C-N back into a tie for first place atop the SAC standings with Anderson (who was also swept this weekend, at the hands of Catawba).
The Eagles lost game one 8-0 before falling in the nightcap 9-0. Those are the most runs scored on C-N this season and represent the largest margin of victory for Wingate in the all-time series with the Eagles.
"Mentally we just weren't there today," C-N head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "Wingate came out ready to play and gave us all we wanted. There were adjustments we could ahve made, but we just weren't there to make them."
Game one: Wingate 8, Carson-Newman 0 (five innings)
Two-out hitting undid Carson-Newman in game one. The Bulldogs scored six of their eight runs with two outs to hand Carson-Newman its first run-rule loss of the season. The eight runs the Bulldogs scored are the most Carson-Newman has allowed this season.
Wingate was 6-for-10 at the plate with two out.
Wingate dented the scoreboard first after the Eagles went down in order to begin the game. A walk and a hit-by-pitch to begin the inning for Wingate allowed Alexis Burrell to come to the plate and drive in a run with a single up the gut.
A walk loaded the bases for the Bulldogs and Olivia Smith blooped a single to left to bring the second run of the first in for the Bulldogs.
Wingate increased its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second with a two-out double to left center from Taylor Laskey. Another pair of runs came in on a two-run, two-out bomb to right from Burrell.
The Bulldogs continued to use two-out, longball hitting in the fourth when Laskey launched a ball over the wall in left center to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 cushion.
Olivia Smith scored on a wild pitch to end the game in the fifth for the Bulldogs.
Stacey Houser worked the one-hit shutout for the Bulldogs. Brooke Ramsey (San Mateo, Calif.) had the lone base hit of the game for the Eagles.
Sarah Howard (Georgetown, Ky.) took the loss for Carson-Newman to drop to 6-4 on the year.
Game two: Wingate 9, C-N 0 (five innings)
Much like game one, Wingate jumped on Carson-Newman early. This time it was an Emily Usiak home run to left off a 3-2 pitch to produce a 1-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the third. Looking to add insurance, the Bulldogs' McLaurin got a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 2-0. Another run came in on a base-hit through the left side from Smith. Before all was said and done, the Bulldogs had plated six in the frame to take a 7-0 lead while batting around.
Wingate added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth with a two-RBI Hannah single to center.
Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) took the loss for C-N to fall to 11-5 on the year. Houser racked up her SAC best 16th win of the season.
The Eagles stay on the road Tuesday in a battle for first place with Anderson. First pitch from the road will be at 2 p.m. Coverage for the doubleheader will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
