VIDEO: Game Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Macey Hughes (Knoxville, Tenn.) capped a frenetic rally with a single through the left side of the infield to finish a five-run bottom of the seventh and help Carson-Newman (1-1) salvage a doubleheader split with King (1-1) on opening day at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Carson-Newman battled back to win game two 8-7 but lost the opening game of the twinbill 8-2.
"Congratulations to King on a great game one," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "They outcoached us, out pitched us, out hit us, and just did a better job overall. It showed on the scoreboard for them. He has a very good team and they will be tough to beat in their conference and this region."
King handed Carson-Newman its first opening day loss in a decade and its third overall. Additionally, King become the first team to beat the Eagles in their home opener as far back as data exists to 2003.
The Tornado clobbered eight home runs in the doubleheader. Carson-Newman had played 1,642 games all time prior to Wednesday's twinbill.
The Eagles had never allowed four home runs in a single game. King did it twice.
"We could see signs of better discipline at the plate from our girls and more energy as the game went on. We have a very deep roster and that showed when we put in some younger girls in the seventh-inning to hit that started our rally," Graves said. "I can't say enough about the job that Nicolette Ferguson did a phenomenal job of coming in those last few innings and shutting them down and not letting them score anymore when we were down four runs. That gave us a chance to win in the seventh and Haley Schultz and Addison Lowe provided us with a huge spark to start off the bottom of the seventh. One thing I can say about this team over the last few years is they don't quit and they think they can win no matter how many runs they are down late in the game."
Hughes and Katie Eakes led Carson-Newman at the plate. Hughes was 3-for-7 for the doubleheader with the game-winning RBI. Eakes drove in four runs with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate.
GAME ONE: King 8, Carson-Newman 2
It took King to the third inning to score the first run of the 2021 season. Erin Foster yanked a 3-2 pitch midway up the pine trees in left to push King ahead 1-0 on the one-out blast.
Foster kept the party rolling in the fifth for King. She golfed a 1-1 pitch down the left field line and out of the park for her second home run in as many plate appearances. The two-run shot gave King a 3-0 lead.
The Tornado added to the lead in the fifth thanks to an Eagle miscue. A Meagan Puckett single, a muffed throw at second on what should have been the final out and a walk loaded the bases. Tinsley Thompson took a 1-0 pitch out of the part for a grand slam home run and a 7-0 King lead off the four unearned runs.
The long ball continued to work for King in the seventh. Carly Turner led off the frame with a solo blast to center.
King became the first team ever to hit four home runs in a single game off Carson-Newman.
Carson-Newman was able to muster two runs in the bottom of the seventh to set the final score at 8-2. Madelyn Gillett (Howell, Mich.) ripped a single through the left side to score one and Keely Quillen (Gate City, Va.) got an RBI groundout for the second.
Nicole Counts logged the win for King to start her year 1-0. She allowed six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Lacie Rinus took the loss for C-N. Of the eight runs she allowed, only four were earned. She gave up nine hits while walking three and fanning five. Of the nine hits King hit off her, five were for extra bases.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 8, King 7
King took advantage of an Eagle miscue to grab a 1-0 lead in the first in game two. With runners on second and third and one out, Rikelle Miller grounded out to short. With Meagan Puckett leading off second, Katie Eakes threw to the bag to try to turn two. However, the ball bounced out of Quillen's glove to allow Foster to race home for an opening lead.
Carson-Newman responded quickly. The Eagles had runners on the corners following a leadoff walk for Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) and a Shannon Smith single down the right field line.
KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) ripped a base hit back up the middle to score Sohm standing and level things up at 1-1.
King countered in the top of the second. Thompson cranked her second dinger of the doubleheader over the fence down the left field line to push King back in front 2-1.
Carson-Newman countered in the bottom of the third. SieAnna Cameron (Friendsville, Tenn.) and Sohm got on board to start the inning with a walk and a bunt single. The pair moved into scoring position on a Levi flyout to left.
Katie Eakes came through with a timely two-out hit. She knocked a 3-2 pitch to center field to score the pair and give C-N a 3-2 edge.
The lead would be short-lived. Kylee Wolfe bombed a 1-1 pitch into the trees in right center to level the score at 3-3.
King retook the lead in the top of the fifth. Camryn Haag singled down the left before Puckett clobbered the first pitch of her at bat over the wall into the Carson-Newman bullpen in right field. That gave King a 5-3 lead. Then Rikkelle Miller jacked a two-run blast to center to score King's fifth unanswered run and set the edge at 7-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles sent three straight pinch hitters to the plate, all three producing hits with Maddie Gillett getting the club one run closer on a base hit to right field. Following an error to load the bases, Levi drew a four-pitch walk to trim the deficit to two.
Eakes banged a two-run single to right-center field on a 1-1 offering to knot the tally up at seven with still no one out. Hughes dug in and slashed a base hit through the left side of the infield to score Valerie Seay and complete a five-run seventh and a walk-off win for the home club.
In game two, Eakes paced the offense with a couple hits and a walk driving in four runs with Hughes adding a pair of pokes.
NicKolette Ferguson was terrific in relief giving up one hit and one walk getting the final eight outs to pick up the win in the circle.
Foster and Puckett each had two hits in game two with Turner taking the loss giving up seven earned runs on 10 hits and five walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Carson-Newman is back on the diamond with a road doubleheader to open South Atlantic Conference action on Tuesday climbing the mountain to face Mars Hill starting at noon.
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