VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
VIDEO: Shon Jordan Interview
VIDEO: Alli Webster Interview
The Eagles took game one 6-0 before hanging on in game two 4-2.
"I felt like we played 12 really good defensive innings," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "There were a couple plays where we had some defensive issues that we'll review and correct."
Webster faced the minimum in the first game. A fourth inning hit by the Bobcats Sarah Stallings was the only blemish for the junior college transfer. Stalling was erased from the base paths a batter later as a part of a 6-4-3 double play that ended that inning.
Lindsay Dean got the win in the second game after fanning five Lees-McRae batters. Webster entered in the seventh, struck out two and was credited with the save.
"Pitching was great," Kazee-Hollifield said. "They did everything right. Alli Webster, you don't know what's going through her mind, she's just so consistent. Lindsay is night and day with what she's doing from her freshman year."
Offensively, freshman Shon Jordan (Heritage, Tenn.) led the attack with three RBI and a 3-for-6 day at the plate.
"I was amazed at how many freshman came in a made an impact in the lineup," Kazee-Hollfield said. "Cheyenne Boles was the bat that stuck out to me, even though she got to the plate once. We expect big things out of them in the future."
The Eagles have now won 10 straight against Lees-McRae. The Eagles improved to 27-2 all-time in season-opening games.
Game one: Carson-Newman 6, Lees-McRae 0
Carson-Newman cracked the scoreboard quickly to open up 2016. Three straight singles in the first inning from Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.), Jordan and Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) produced C-N's first run of the game. Dean's single through the left side drove home Jordan and gave the Eagles a lead they wouldn't come close to relinquishing.
C-N added an unearned run later in the first when Talisa Fiame (Pacifica, Calif.) reached on a throwing error by the Bobcats' third baseman that allowed Siebert to score with two out.
After two scoreless frames, C-N relied on LMC pitching miscues to get a run in. A hit batsman and two walks juiced the bases for the Eagles. Siebert lifted a high fly to left that allowed freshman speedster Andi Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) to tag up and score on the sacrifice.
C-N put three more across in the fifth with a Fiame sacrifice fly, a hit batsman (Kristen Topple) with the bases loaded, and an RBI ground out from Jordan.
Webster (1-0) snagged the win for the Eagles in her debut. The only baserunner she allowed was Stallings, who had a bloop single down the left field line in the fourth.
Kara Cunningham (0-2) took the loss. She allowed seven hits and every run scored in 4.1 innings of work.
Game two, Carson-Newman 4, Lees-McRae 2
It took Carson-Newman's offense a bit longer to get rolling in game two, but the Eagles broke through in a big way with a four-spot in the third inning.
A bunt single from Smith gave the Eagles runners on the corners with one out. Kristen Topple (Roanoke, Va.) then send a soft pop up down the left field line that found a hole in no-man's land and dropped for an RBI single as Fiame scored. Jordan then cleared the bases with a triple over the head of the rightfielder.
Siebert rounded out the scoring in the inning on a deep bomb that one-hopped the wall in left center.
Poor defensive execution came up to haunt the Eagles in the fifth as the Bobcats clawed back for two runs. After a Sarah Tucker double to lead off the frame, the Bobcats went for a sacrifice bunt, but the speedy Emily Merriam was able to leg out and errant throw from Dean. The throwing error by the Eagles' pitcher allowed Tucker to come home from two bases away. A batter later, it was another throwing error that brought home another run for LMC.
Charlie Dutton successfully sacrificed Valerie Hickey (pinch-running for Merriam) over to second. No one was covering third, so Hickey successfully swiped a second, and eventually third bag. Siebert threw the ball to third to try to turn two before any Eagle had retreated to cover third.
Lees-McRae threatened in the seventh and had the tying run in scoring position before catcher Hayley Burnette (Rossville, Ga.) turned a potential wild pitch into the final out of the game as she recovered the ball off the backstop and flipped it to Webster who made the final out covering the dish.
Dean (1-0) struck out five in 6.0 innings of work. She didn't walk a soul. Webster (1) got the save, striking out two of the final batters she faced.
Charlie Dutton (1-1) pitched the complete game for the Bobcats but surrendered the four runs off eight hits.
The Eagles are back home Wednesday against King. First pitch 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.
