VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (5-1) hit .548 with runners in scoring position and pounded out 25 hits and 24 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Tiffin (0-2) Sunday at The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Carson-Newman won game one 15-0 in five innings, the 42nd game in school history the Eagles had put up 15 or more runs. The Eagles then powered their way to a 9-5 triumph in the night cap.
"I'm so pleased with how we came out today and hit the ball," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We're getting better and better every inning that we see live pitching and live play."
Carson-Newman had five players bat .500 for the twin bill. Macey Hughes (Knoxville, Tenn.) drove in five runs and went 3-for-6 at the plate. Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) tallied a 4-for-5 day at the plate while driving in three. Meanwhile, Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) sparked her bat to life with a double, her third career home run and a 4-for-7 day at the plate.
"We keep coming back to Macey Hughes, she's such a spark plug," Graves said. "She comes from a great high school program. She's been key in big situations, and I can count on her to take a big swing in a big spot."
KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) celebrated her birthday with her fourth career three-hit day. She was 4-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored.
The Eagles have won five straight after losing their opener to King.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 15, Tiffin 0 (five innings)
Carson-Newman wasted little time in snagging an edge in game one. Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked to lead off the inning before stealing second and moving to third on a KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) infield single to short.
After a foul out, Shannon Smith (Channahan, Ill.) walloped a 1-0 pitch for her third career home run over the wall in left field to push C-N to a 3-0 lead.
Eagles claim the early lead, thanks to a 3-run homer by
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 21, 2021
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The Eagles added to the lead in the second in a big way with an eight-run frame. Keely Quillen (Gate City, Va.) walked to lead off the inning before Haley Caldwell (Kenova, W.Va) ripped a base hit through the left side. Lacie Rinus bounced one back up the box to score Quillen.
After a swinging bunt from Leah Sohm moved the pairing into scoring position, Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) crushed a 1-2 pitch off the wall in center field for a two-RBI double and a 6-0 lead.
Carson-Newman continued the second-inning onslaught with an RBI single right from Katie Eakes that Heidi Marshall misplayed allowing a second run to come in.
Smith singled up the middle for another RBI before Rinus drove in her second run of the inning with a bases-loaded infield single to second.
5⃣ K from @LacieRinus
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 21, 2021
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Madelyn Gillett (Howell, Mich.) capped the scoring with a bases loaded single through the left side. Carson-Newman led 11-0 nothing after the dust settled.
Carson-Newman scored four more times in the third with two bases loaded walks, the first career hit for Madison Mathis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and a Sohm squeeze bunt with the bases loaded. The Eagles tallied 15 runs for the 42nd time in school history.
Rinus logged her second straight shutout, surrendering five hits on the day. She struck out five and walked one to improve to 2-1 on the year.
Sarah Klein dropped to 0-1 in a 1.1-inning start for Tiffing. She gave up five hits and seven runs with two walks and a strikeout.
Levi and Smith both tallied three-hit days for C-N. Smith drove in four, while Rinus drove in three.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 9, Tiffin 5
Tiffin grabbed the opening lead in game two off Eagle miscues. Two walks and an error on a sacrifice loaded the bases without an out. A Laura Teunion-Smith sacrifice fly to left center got Tiffin on the board 1-0. However, the Dragons could only bring the single run across.
Carson-Newman tied it after the first in an unconventional manner. Sohm led off the game with a walk and moved to third on a Hughes single up the middle. She sprinted home on a passed ball to even the score 1-1.
Tiffin retook the lead in the top of the second. Caitlin Wilson shot a ball past a diving Rinus on the left field line and legged out an inside-the-park home run for a 2-1 lead.
The see-saw battled continued in the bottom of the second. Carson-Newman loaded the bases with two out for Hughes. The freshman bounced a ball through the left side of the infield. Rinus scored easily before the catcher Savage dropped the ball allowing SieAnna Cameron (Friendsville, Tenn.) to slide in safely.
The Dragons countered in the top of the third, loading the bases with a double, walk and bloop single to left. Hallie Sheehan produced an RBI ground out on a slow roller to short to level things up at 3-3. However, a batter interference ended the threat.
Carson-Newman got the offense clicking again with a five-spot in the third. Keely Quillen (Gate City, Va.) got it started with a bloop single to center to score one. As Tiffin threw around to try to get Eagle baserunners, Smith slid home.
C-N scored three more times in the inning off a Cameron RBI single to left center and bases loaded walks for Hughes and Eakes to set the Eagles' margin at 8-3 after three.
Here is how @cnsball is tied after two and a half innings.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 21, 2021
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The Eagles added a run in the fifth. Sohm singled to short, stole second and took third on an error. She strolled home on a one-out Levi double to the wall in left center for a 9-3 Eagle lead.
The Dragons used timely two-out hitting to get two back in the top of the sixth. Logan Bush drilled a pinch-hit double to the wall in right center before coming around to score on a Teunion-Smith single through the left side.
That set the final margin at 9-5.
NicKollette Ferguson (Erwin, Tenn.) logged the win in the circle with a five-inning relief effort. She gave up five hits and three runs, all earned. She improved to 3-0 on the year.
Claire Feldkamp took the loss to fall to 0-1. She dealt a 2.1-inning start, giving up seven hits and eight runs, all earned. She walked four.
Sohm went 3-for-3 at the plate. Hughes drove in three runs.
Carson-Newman wraps up an eight-game homestand Wednesday at noon to open up SAC play with Mars Hill. First pitch is set for noon. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
