VIDEO: Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (17-7) and Young Harris (19-5) collide for the first time in school history in key in-region matchup Thursday afternoon at 2.
Both Carson-Newman and Young Harris are in an early season position where they have the potential to make NCAA regional play with a stellar second half.
Carson-Newman has won three straight games, all via the run-rule. The Mountain Lions enter the game fresh off a split with Montevallo. Young Harris had won four consecutive prior to that.
The Eagles have done it with a youth movement. Carson-Newman softball's freshman have homered as many times this season (13) as freshmen have the last four years combined. Abby Fiessinger (Benton, Ky.) leads the way in that regard. The second baseman has tallied a league-best seven dingers. She has the 13th most home runs in the country.
What's more, with the exception of a bases loaded walk for Katie Pritchett (Ringgold, Ga.) against Bluefield State, freshmen have driven in the game-winning run in all of the Eagles' wins. KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) have provided the bulk of the clutch hits. Levi has knocked in the game-winning RBI five times. Rinus has done it four times.
"I am excited for right now and the future," head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "The consistency of good play hasn't been very freshman-like. I've been encouraged by what they've been able to do thus far and to see what they produce in the future."
Levi has been a particularly curious case of clutch hitting. Levi has driven in 15 of her team-leading 20 runs this season with two out. Three more runs have come in on sacrifice flies – a category in which Levi ranks third in the country. So, of Levi's 20 runs batted in, only two have come with less than two out in a non-sacrifice fly situation.
Kristen Toppel (Roanoke, Va.) leads Carson-Newman with 12 stolen bases, a figure which is third in the conference. She hasn't been caught stealing yet. With two more swipes, Toppel will have the most stolen bases in a single season for C-N since 2010. Toppel is 27-fr-28 on the base paths in her career.
Speaking of Toppel, the junior is 28th among active players in NCAA Division II for most times hit by a pitch in a career. She's been plunked 22 times.
Carson-Newman will need for its pitching to be on point against the Mountain Lions. Young Harris hits doubles like nobody's business. The Mountain Lions average nearly two a game, seventh in the country. Hannah Harrison has done the bulk of that double damage. She hits on just about every other game and has 11 for the year. She's eighth in the country for the stat.
YHC is hitting .308 as a team. Harrison has the top bat amongst the regulars with a .442 average. Jill Torres follows shortly behind her with a .379 average while Carson-Newman transfer Jeanie Marie Perrucci bats .372 with a team-leading three triples.
Perrucci also has the top arm for Young Harris. The pitcher is 8-2 with a 1.55 ERA. She has double-digit punch outs on three occasions, including 15 in a win over Queens to open the year. Opponents are hitting .204 off her.
"Young Harris is on the schedule because they will get us ready for conference play," Kazee-Hollifield said. "We want to play teams that have been to regionals and that will challenge us. Jeanie Perrucci has done great for them in the circle. They play good defense and can score some runs too."
First pitch between the Eagles and Mountain Lions is set for 2 p.m. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
