WINNGATE, N.C. – Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) hit a late-inning home run and Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.) dazzled in relief in the circle to help Carson-Newman (16-8, 9-7 South Atlantic Conference) put a stop to the country's third-longest home winning streak.
The Eagles took an 8-7 decision from Wingate (13-11, 6-4 SAC) in the second game of the twinbill to salvage a split and hand the Bulldogs their first home loss in 15 games.
The Bulldogs prevailed in the opener 4-1.
"I think Morgen did an outstanding job of coming in and controlling the game," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "I think she made one bad pitch the whole five innings that she pitched. When she focuses and keeps the ball down she is extremely hard to hit solid."
Baker-Celis struck out 10 in a 5.2-inning relief effort in game two to reset her career high for strikeouts. It also marks the most strikeouts thrown by an Eagle pitcher in a relief effort.
At the plate, Hughes tallied a four-hit day in the nightcap, the first for the program since Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) did it against Anderson on April 28, 2019 in the title game of the SAC tournament.
Included in that were two doubles and a go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh inning. Hughes tallied nine total bases on the game, the 10th most in school history.
KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Keeley Quillen (Gate City, Va.) also socked pivotal home runs.
"We had a lot of contributors in the win. Keeley and Kara had huge home runs and Macey was a gap machine," Graves said. "It's nice to see the offense get back on track. I don't think we hit bad the last few games, we hit hard balls that just didn't find holes. In game two, things started dropping for us offensively."
GAME ONE: Wingate 4, Carson-Newman 1
Wingate grabbed an early 1-0 lead thanks to some Carson-Newman miscues. Heather Maness got plunked with one out in the bottom of the first. With Aubrey Reep to the plate, the Bulldogs pitcher slashed a 1-1 pitch to right for a double. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) mishandled the extra-base hit allowing Maness to score from three bases away for a 1-0 Wingate lead.
The Bulldogs kept it up in the second with a two-out rally. Following a Sara Stroud double and a Haley Cashwell walk, Maness stroked a single through the left side to drive in one. Reep followed suit with a single to center to plate two and give Wingate a 4-0 lead through two.
Carson-Newman finally got on the board in the sixth. Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) stroked a single to left before taking second on a wild pitch. KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) muscled up a 2-2 pitch into the left centerfield power alley and get C-N on the board, 4-1.
THE. FRESHMAN. @MaceyHughes5 FOR. THE. LEAD.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 27, 2021
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The Eagles threatened in the top of the seventh, but couldn't get the timely hits to extend the games. C-N had runners on first and second with one out following a walk and an error, but the Eagles never could get the runs in. C-N left the pair in scoring position and ended the game with the tying run at the plate.
Reep got the win for the Bulldogs. She fired the first six innings, allowing three hits and a run with four walks and seven Ks. Kaitlyn Knuckles collected a save, her second of the year.
Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) took the loss to drop to 5-7. She dealt the complete game, surrendering seven hits and four runs, with three earned. She only walked one and didn't strike anyone out.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 8, Wingate 7
It was once again Wingate who struck first in game two. Cashwell led off the game with a bloop single to center before stealing second. Maness dropped another single to center to plate Cashwell and give Wingate a 1-0 two batters into the game. Maness took third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Hannah Reeves to give Wingate a 2-0 lead after one.
Carson-Newman immediately countered in the top of the second. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) nipped a one-out double to left before Rinus knocked an infield single deep into the hole at second. After Rinus stole second, Keeley Quillen (Gate City, Va.) clobbered a 2-1 pitch to straight away center field for her second home run of the season. The three-run blast gave C-N a 3-2 lead.
Carson-Newman wasn't done in the inning though. After a Smith double and a SieAnna Cameron (Friendsville, Tenn.) single to left center, Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) dropped down a bunt single to third. Smith scored naturally on the play, but the throw to first was wide of the bag, allowing Cameron to score as well. The RBI knock and the error put C-N up 5-2 after 1.5 innings.
Wingate leveled things up in the bottom of the second thanks to issues in the circle for C-N's pitching staff. The Eagles walked four in the frame to aid the Bulldogs in tying the game at 5-5. Cashwell drove in the first run of the frame with a base hit to left center. With two on and two out, NicKollette Ferguson (Erwin, Tenn.) walked the next three batters she faced to bring in two runs and tie the score. Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.) entered in the circle and squelched the flames with a strikeout on three pitches to keep the game level at 5-5.
For the second time today, @morgencelis strikes out the side.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) March 27, 2021
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The Bulldogs retook the lead in the fourth. After a one-out infield single for Cashwell, Reep took the first pitch of her at-bat to left center for a two-run home run that staked Wingate to a 7-5 lead.
C-N countered with a long ball of its own in the sixth. Cameron led off the inning with an infield single to first. After a ground out and a line out, Levi clobbered the eighth pitch of her at bat down the left field line for a two-run home run, her fourth of the year. The moonshot tied the game 7-7.
It was a top-of-the-seventh home run from Hughes that gave C-N the lead for good. Hughes smacked a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left with one out in the seventh.
The home run was the second of the season for her.
Wingate would get the tying run into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but Baker-Celis induced a pop up to third to end the threat.
Baker-Celis was sublime in relief to go to 2-0 on the year. She struck out 10 in 5.2 innings of work. The Ks mark a new career high for the junior and are the most all-time by a Carson-Newman reliever. She gave up four hits and two runs, both earned.
Kaitlyn Knuckles took the loss for Wingate. She was one of four pitchers used by the Bulldogs in the night cap. She drops to 0-2. Knuckles gave up three runs, all earned in 1.2 innings of work.
Carson-Newman returns home Tuesday at 1 p.m. to tangle with Lee in a non-conference matchup. Coverage of the contests will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
