JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (10-2, 5-1 South Atlantic Conference) clobbered double-digit runs in both games of a SAC doubleheader for the first time since March 1, 2020 and rolled in a run-rule sweep of Queens (3-7, 1-3 SAC) Saturday at the Tusckaseegee Dream Fields.

The Eagles sprinted to a 16-0 game-one win before prevailing 14-5 in five innings in the night cap.  It marked Carson-Newman's first double-digit, run-rule sweep of a SAC foe since the Eagles did it to Mars Hill on March 1, 2020. 

"It's hard to be disappointed about anything when you score 30 runs in 10 innings of a doubleheader," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "However, we can't be satisfied with this, I tell the girls when we start getting happy about where we are about things that's when we are done getting better. This is an amazing group of hitters and they are extremely fun to watch when they are all clicking together. And I'm not just talking about the girls that have been starting. We have several girls coming off the bench that are coming in and just stroking it."

Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was filthy at the plate for the Eagles.  She went 6-for-7 with a four-hit performance in game one.  She tallied two doubles, a triple and drove  in six for the twinbill. 

Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) raked with a double, a dinger and four runs batted in.  She was 4-for-9 for the doubleheader.  

The Eagles combined for 22 hits in the twin bill while also walking 14 times.  However, C-N made an error in the field for a third and fourth straight game.

"I think we had some sloppy play for a couple innings especially in game two that I'm not happy about," Graves said. "We have to fix it before it comes back and bites us in an important game. We need to bring the same quality focus on defense as we bring at the plate."

Carson-Newman was exceptional with runners hitting .500 with runners and with runners in scoring position.  C-N was 18-for-36 with runners on base and 14-for-28 with runners in scoring position. 

Carson-Newman set a single-game school record with four sacrifice flies in the nightcap. 

GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 16, Queens 0 (five innings)

Carson-Newman wasted little time in grabbing a lead.  Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) led off the contest with a walk, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) that Levi reached on thanks to an error in the circle.  After a Levi stolen base, Katie Eakes (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) poked a pitch over the wall in right for a three-run blast and a 3-0 Eagle lead. 

Carson-Newman added to it in the top of the second.  After a leadoff double from Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Keely Qullen (Gate City, Va.) got plunked. With runners on first and second, SieAnna Cameron nipped her third RBI of the season with a single.

The Eagles broke the barn doors off the thing in the top of the third.  Carson-Newman sent 14 to the plate and scored 10 runs off five hits and an error.  Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Keely Quillen (Gate City, Va.) jump started the rally with a two-run double and a two-run bomb. 

Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) added a two-run single before a wild pitch brought in the seventh run of the inning.  Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) and Rinus rounded out the inning with a two-RBI double and an RBI single.  The Eagles were up 14-0 after three.

Eakes drove in her fourth run of the day with a double plating Sohm in the top of the fourth. 

A Levi single scored Rinus in the top of the fifth to set the final margin at 16-0 in the run-rule massacre. 

Rinus moved to 4-2 in the circle with the complete-game win. She dealt the four-hit shutout and struck out four. 

Victoria Elder took the loss for Queens in a 2.1 inning start. She gave up four hits and seven runs, with five earned. 

GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 14, Queens 5 (five innings)

Carson-Newman picked up where it left off from game one and pounced on Queens immediately.

The Eagles tallied a five-spot in the top of the first with a two-run home run from Shannon Smith, a sacrifice fly from Rinus and a two-run bomb from Makayla McCarthy (El Cajon, Calif.). 

Smith added to her offense in the second with an RBI knock, she also came around to score on a wild pitch in the frame to give C-N a 7-0 lead through two. 

The Eagles extended their lead to 10-0 in the third off a Caldwell pinch-hit single, a Levi sacrifice fly and a wild pitch that scored Sohm.

Queens got four back in the bottom of the third to chase McCarthy from the circle, but the Eagles' offense kept the pedal to the floor. 

Two more runs followed in the fourth and fifth innings to secure the run-rule sweep.  Rinus tallied an RBI triple, NicKollette Ferguson hit a sac fly to account for the scoring in the fourth.  Another Rinus RBI, this time from a single, and a Hughes sac fly rounded out the scoring in the fifth. 

Ferguson got the win in the circle in relief to improve to 5-0.  She went 1.1 innings of one-hit, one-run ball.

Shannon McGuire dropped to 1-3 for the Royals in her 2.0-inning start. She gave up six hits and walked three with eight runs allowed, six earned.

Carson-Newman returns home Wednesday to square off with Limestone.  Coverage of the 1 p.m. doubleheader will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.