VIDEO: Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Rachel Kay (Chattanooga, Tenn.) knocked a bloop single to right to guide Carson-Newman (6-2, 1-1 South Atlantic Conference) to a 14-6 game-two, walk-off, run-rule win Wednesday at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
The Lions collected their second win all-time in Jefferson City, Tenn. in game one 6-5.
"It's tough to come away with a split when you score 19 runs in 13 innings," head softball Coach Michael Graves said. "We have got to be a lot better in the circle. We continue to get the ball up and work behind to hitters. That is a recipe for disaster no matter how good you are and it is showing with the amount of long balls we are giving up.
"I thought our offense was pretty good in game two and we had our moments in game one. We were not very disciplined at the plate and that hurt us a lot."
Rachel Kay walks it off and @cnsball gets the split against Mars Hill! pic.twitter.com/j5cz1cM5rR
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 24, 2021
Marissa Adame became the first Carson-Newman opponent to strike out 15 Eagles in six years in game one.
Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) tallied a multi-hit effort in game one with her second home run of the year. Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Haley Schultz (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) all had multi-hit days in the night cap while Rinus, Katie Eakes (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had multi-RBI outings.
GAME ONE: Mars Hill 6, Carson-Newman 5
Carson-Newman grabbed an early lead thanks to Mars Hill miscues. Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled to left to start the inning before moving to second on a passed ball. Sohm sprinted home on a dropped fly ball to center field off the bat of Katie Eakes for a 1-0 Eagle lead.
The lead would be short-lived. The Lions raced ahead in the top of the third. A walk to Ashley Hamlin and a single to right center from Brookelynn Nanney gave the Lions runners on the corners with one out. Mars Hill successfully executed a double steal to plate Hamlin and tie the game.
Ashley Evans gave the Lions the lead with an RBI double down the left field line for a 2-1 edge.
Carson-Newman countered in the bottom of the third with two-out hitting. KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) singled through the left side and Katie Eakes (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) walked to give C-N a pair of two-out base runners. Shannnon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) hit a 2-2 screamer up the leftfield line to score Levi and knot things at 2-2.
Mars Hill used the long ball to retake the lead in the fifth. The Lions got runners on first and second with one out thanks to a double from Hamlin and a walk to Nanney. Evans took advantage and pulverized a 2-0 pitch three-quarters of the way up the pine trees in centerfield for her third career home run at Carson-Newman. The three-run shot gave Mars Hill a 5-2 lead.
The Eagles scraped a run back in the bottom of the fifth. Sohm got plunked to lead off the frame, stole second on a strikeout and moved to third on a throwing error. She scored easily on an Eakes double to the wall in left center to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Mars Hill added some insurance in the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left with two out from Nanney for a 6-3 lead.
Sorry to see you leaf, ball!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 24, 2021
Shannon Smith sends a ball over the pine trees to cut the Lion lead to one!
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Carson-Newman rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Levi led off the inning with a walk. Smith then blasted a 2-0 pitch with one out to the tippy top of the pine trees in left to pull Carson-Newman within a run 6-5.
However, a line out and a strike out ended the Eagles rally to collect MHU's second ever win in Jefferson City.
Marissa Adame dealt a dandy to improve to 2-2 in the circle. She fanned 15 while working around five hits and four walks. Of the five runs she allowed, three were earned.
Rinus took the loss to drop to 2-2. She gave up seven hits and six runs wile walking three and striking out eight.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 14, Mars Hill 6 (six innings)
Mars Hill wasted little time to grab a lead in game two, doing so by using the long ball. Nanney scooted a double down the left field line with one out before Evans smashed her second home run of the doubleheader into the pines in right center for a 2-0 edge.
Carson-Newman responded near instantaneously. Sohm led off the game with a triple and scored on a Levi blooper to left. Following a Smith double to left, Katie Eakes (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) cleared the bases to give C-N a 3-2 lead with a bloop single to right.
@MaceyHughes5 getting dirty for the Eagles!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 24, 2021
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Carson-Newman added to its edge in the bottom of the second. SieAnna Cameron (Friendsville, Tenn.) tallied her first career double before moving to third on a Sohm infield single to short. A double steal successfully scored Cameron and gave C-N a 4-2 edge. After walks to Levi and Smith, Eakes shot a sky high ball into foul ground in left. Sohm tagged and scored for a 5-2 Eagle lead.
The Eagles kept pouring it on. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) smoked an RBI double up the middle and Rinus drove in two with a single to left for an 8-2 Eagle lead.
Madison Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) got plinked with the bases loaded to extend the edge to 9-2 C-N before her older sister KaraLynne walked with the bases loaded for a 10-2 lead. When the dust settled, Carson-Newman had scored seven times off of four hits in the frame.
Keely Quillen (Gate City, Va.) padded the lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third to give C-N an 11-2 advantage.
Addison Lowe (Sweetwater, Tenn.) tallied her first career RBI in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single to right.
Addison Lowe with her first career RBI makes it a 10 run game!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 24, 2021
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Mars Hill avoided the run-rule in the top of the fifth with a three-run home run to center from Evans to get within seven, 12-5.
Peyton Duba knocked in a run in the top of the sixth with an RBI single to left center before Carson-Newman walked it off in run-rule fashion in the bottom of the sixth.
Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) walked to lead off the inning. She raced home when Haley Schultz (Knoxville, Tenn.) drilled a triple off the wall in left center. Schultz scored the game-ending run on Rachel Kay's (Chattanooga, Tenn.) second-career hit on a bloop single to right to set the final margin at 14-6.
NicKollette Ferguson (Erwin, Tenn.) logged her first career complete-game win. She improves to 4-0 on the year. Ferguson allowed nine hits and six runs all earned. She walked two and fanned four.
Kayla Gallagher dropped to 1-2 on the year after a one-inning start. She surrendered six hits and six runs, all earned.
Carson-Newman hits the road for the first time Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Emmanuel.
