JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (23-7, 4-0 South Atlantic Conference) takes aim at the 21st double-digit win streak in program history when the Eagles take on the Catawba College Catawba Indians (9-24, 2-2 SAC) Saturday afternoon at 1 at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
"They are very talented, and you can't take anything for granted in this league," head softball coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "We're taking by that old cliché, one game at a time and one pitch at a time. I know we'll have a battle on our hands with them, but I'm pleased with the way we've been playing and I love our effort."
Carson-Newman has won nine games consecutively for a second time this season. The Eagles fell to Erskine 8-2 last time they went for a 10th straight win. The Eagles haven't won 10 in-a-row since a 17-game win streak, the seventh longest in school history, in the middle of the 2010 season.
Carson-Newman has played all-around good softball on its win streak. The Eagles have played error free for four games. The pitching staff has a .79 team ERA while the Eagles are hitting .350 as a team.
Allison Webster (Charlestown, Ind.) and Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) have combined to allow six earned runs over the last nine games. Opponents are only hitting .155 off Webster.
Abby Fiessinger (Benton, Ky.), reigning SAC Player of the Week Katie Pritchett (Ringgold, Ga.) and Ashlyn Cooper (Friendsville, Tenn.) all have batting averages north of .400 for the win streak. Toss in Cheyenne Boles (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Webster and the Eagles have five players all hitting better than .350 on the streak.
The hallmark of the Eagles offense of late has been pouncing on people early. The Eagles are outscoring their opposition 21-0 in the first innings of the last nine games. That extends to 29-1 if you include the second inning.
Meanwhile, Catawba is contending with the loss due to graduation of one of the best pitchers in South Atlantic Conference history. Carly Tysinger, now an assistant on Nan Whitley's staff, finished her four-year career with 1,355 strikeouts, the most in SAC and Catawba history and the eighth most in NCAA Division II.
The Indians have taken to replacing Tysinger, who hurled two complete game victories and 217 pitches last year against Carson-Newman, by committee. Brooke Walser, Kaylee Cook and Caroline Turner have all made at least 15 appearances on the season for the Indians.
Walser has the lowest ERA of the three with a 3.76 tally. She is 6-9. Cooker and Turner follow with 5.25 and 5.55 ERAs. Catawba's pitching staff has given up 19 homes, the third most in the SAC.
The Indians have a productive offense that hits .309 as a team. Kristen Stinnard and Delane Smith are both in the top 10 for the South Atlantic Conference for batting average. Stinnard hits .438 while Smith checks in at .407. Smith has driven in 25 runs and hit eight doubles to lead the team.
First pitch between the Eagles and Indians is set for 1 p.m. Coverage of the contests is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
