JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (23-13, 8-2 South Atlantic Conference) aims to extend a four-game winning streak in league action against the team that ended its 2015 foray into the South Atlantic Conference tournament with a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at noon.
The Eagles challenge Anderson (25-11, 5-5 SAC), who knocked them out of the SAC tourney a year ago 5-3.
The Trojans have defeated the Eagles in the SAC tournament each of the last two seasons. Two years ago Anderson pounded the Eagles at The Vick 8-0 and 13-2 on the back four home runs and eight extra base hits.
The Eagles returned the favor last year in the Palmetto State with 8-4 and 7-2 wins en route to a South Atlantic Conference regular season championship. In those contests, it was the Eagles who drilled a quartet of dingers.
This year has been predicated more on pitching for both teams. Anderson has the top earned run average in the conference with a 1.97 mark that also ranks No. 25 in the country.
Augie Pena, who was sidelined midway through last season with an ACL tear, leads the staff with a 1.42 ERA (fourth in the SAC). Her 112 strikeouts are also fourth in the league.
Allison Webster (Charlestown, Ind.) represents the third best strikeout artist in the league with 165 Ks. Webster has a 2.04 ERA, but has been spot on over C-N's last 10 games.
While the Eagles have a 5-5 record over that span, Webster and Danielle Kranz (Fairfield, Calif.) have kept the Eagles in games. Webster has a 1.51 ERA over her last six appearances while Kranz' ERA is 2.85 over her last four outings, one below her season average. Over her last six appearances, opponents are hitting .192 off Webster with just three extra base hits – all doubles.
The matchup features two of the biggest bats in the league. The Trojans' Cailah Niles has her eye on the conference's triple crown, leading the league in RBI (41) and batting average (.451). Niles is second to C-N's Lindsay Dean (Coeburn, Va.) in home runs 11-8.
While the Eagles have had solid pitching over their last 10 outings, the bats haven't come through in the clutch.
Carson-Newman has six hits in 77 at bats as a team the last 10 games with runners in scoring position, that's a .078 average.
The Eagles haven't scored more than four runs in 10 games, since an 11-3 run-rule win over Mars Hill. At the same time, only Catawba and Georgia College have managed to score more than three runs against the Eagles in that time span.
In the meantime, the Eagles have left 78 base runners stranded, including 26 in a sweep of Newberry Sunday afternoon.
First pitch between the Eagles and Trojans is set for 12 p.m. Wednesday. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network with a free high definition stream at cneagles.com/live.
