ATHENS, W.Va. – Carson-Newman (13-7) rallied from a four-run deficit in game one of a doubleheader before Concord (10-3) came back from down five in game two Wednesday afternoon at the CU Softball Complex.
The Eagles trailed by four runs in the fourth in game one before a five-run seventh propelled them to an 8-5 win. In game two, Concord pulled the same trick after falling behind 5-0 in the first. A five-run sixth turned the tables and helped the Mountain Lions to a 10-6 win.
"We're just inconsistent," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "You can't beat a team by playing well for just one inning. We were in slow motion defensively, and as they chipped away, we just couldn't counteract it. It was frustrating to come back in game one and then let things slip away in game two. We have to learn that we have to play for 14 innings."
Katie Pritchett (Ringgold, Ga.) matched six other Eagles with three doubles in the second game. Pritchett led C-N's attack with her first career four-hit day. For the doubleheader she was 6-for-7 with a sextet of runs batted in.
"I'm proud of Katie," Kazee-Hollifield said. "But we have to have more than just one player hitting. We had a boatload of missed opportunities that came back to haunt us today."
Pritchett, Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.), Shon Jordan (Hermitage, Tenn.) and Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) all hit home runs on the day.
Game one: Carson-Newman 8, Concord 5
After 2.5 innings of one-hit ball between the teams, Concord managed to break through in the third. The Mountain Lions loaded the bases with no one out hit batsman and a pair of bunt singles from Lindsay Stahl and Alayna Furr. That set the stage for Aarron Ward who hit a deep ball to center for a sacrifice fly that plated Alycea Watson.
The Mountain Lions kept the inning rolling with an RBI fielder's choice from Alyssa Morris and an RBI double to right center from Lauren Lewis made it 4-0 Concord.
Carson-Newman would counter in the top of the fourth. Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) hit her second home run of the season in eight at bats to lead off the fourth. Katie Pritchett (Ringgold, Ga.) would bomb a two-out solo shot to right two batters later to bring the Eagles within a pair.
The Eagles would hop on the home run train again in the sixth when Shon Jordan (Hermitage, Tenn.) blasted her first career bomb over the wall in left to bring the Eagles within a run.
Concord added an insurance run in the bottom of that frame with a Nicole Neri RBI single into right.
However, that insurance would not be enough as the Eagles forced the Mountain Lions to come to the plate in the home half of the seventh.
Ashlynn Cooper (Friendsville, Tenn.) walked to start off the inning, then Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) knocked a single up the middle. With one out, Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.) got her second hit of the day to juice the bases.
Jordan then drove in her second run of the day with a single to left to make it 5-4. Siebert tied the game with a bases loaded walk before Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) gave the Eagles the lead on an RBI groundout.
Pritchett then rounded out the scoring with a two-RBI single to right to give the Eagles an 8-5 advantage.
Allison Webster (Charlestown, Ind.) continued in cruise control in the seventh, picking up strikeouts No. 9 and 10 for the day to shut the door and complete the comeback.
Webster got the win in the circle to move to 7-4 on the season. She tallied at least 10 strikeouts for a third game this season. Webster retired nine consecutive batters after giving up four runs in the third.
Sarah Herndon was hit with the loss for the Mountain Lions. She falls to 5-2 on the year. Herndon gave up eight hits, eight earned runs and surrendered three walks against four strikeouts.
Pritchett, Jordan and Siebert all had multi-RBI performances in addition to their fifth, first and second home runs of the season, respectively. Toppel extended her hitting streak to 15 games.
The Eagles' rally from a four-run deficit gives them their second largest comeback in the last three years. The Eagles rallied from five-run deficits against Catawba in 2015 and Mars Hill in 2014. Carson-Newman also rallied from down four runs to beat Concord 8-5 during the 2014 season.
Game two: Concord 10, Carson-Newman 6
The Eagles wasted little time picking things up offensively in game two. C-N loaded the bases in the top of the first for Pritchett, who smashed a two-RBI double to the wall in center to give the Eagles the opening salvo.
Dean kept things rolling for the Eagles offensively, smoking a three-run blast over the wall in left field to put C-N up 5-0. The homer was Dean's fourth of the year and seventh of her career. It also marked the seventh time this season the Eagles' had hit a three-run bomb – more than the last three years combined.
Concord quickly responded, loading the bases in the bottom of the first and getting a two-run single from Nicole Neri that was just outside the reach of Toppel at short. That hit made it a 5-2 ballgame.
The Mountain Lions further chipped into the lead in the second when Abby Beatty doubled to right center to drive in a run and make it 5-3. That chased Webster from her second start of the doubleheader as the Eagles called on Kranz from the bullpen. Kranz induced a pop up to end the frame.
The Eagles were able to get that run back in the third, however. Siebert led off the inning with a base hit up the middle, then Pritchett drilled her second double to left center producing her third RBI of the contest.
Concord continued its rally in the third with a Jessica Burney two-RBI single into left centerfield to cut the lead to 6-5.
Kranz worked her way through a bases loaded jam with a strikeout looking in the fifth, but Concord took advantage in the sixth. With two in scoring position in the sixth, Watson ripped a one-out double to right center field to put Concord in front 7-6 and end Kranz' day in the circle. Webster reentered with her squad down a run and promptly gave up a two-run home to Burney, which made it 9-6. A Kristen Rose jack made it 10-6 in favor of the Mountain Lions.
There would be no seventh-inning rally for the Eagles in game two, with two on and one out, Dean grounded into a double play to end the game.
Kranz was handed the loss in relief for the Eagles. She worked 3.2 innings in relief and surrendered eight hits and five runs, four of which were earned.
Aarron Ward went the distance and got the win for Concord to improve to 3-0. She gave up four extra-base hits and struck out one, of the six runs she allowed, five were earned.
The Eagles are off for a week before heading to Tigerville, S.C. to play North Greenville. First pitch is at 1 p.m. with coverage on the Eagle Sports Network online at cneagles.com/live.
