ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson (24-6, 12-4 South Atlantic Conference) got a walk-off, nine-inning win in the opener before Carson-Newman (17-9, 10-8 SAC) rallied to take a one-run, eight-inning decision in the nightcap in two classics Thursday at the Anderson Softball Complex.
The Trojans prevailed 10-9 in the first game, which featured a combined six home runs blown out by 30 mile per hour winds. Then the Eagles rallied from a one-run deficit by tying things up in the sixth winning them in the eighth by a final score of 4-3.
"I am happy to come away with that win in game two against a team that has a phenomenal record," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "But I know we should have won both. I don't fault our heart and effort at all. It's little things that are getting us and when we make two or three a game its costing us wins."
The Eagles made three errors in game one before playing error free in the night cap.
Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) paced C-N's offense by going 6-for-8 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
The games marked the first time C-N played two extra-innings games in a doubleheader since Feb. 21, 2011 when the Eagles split a pair of eight-inning games at North Greenville.
GAME ONE: Anderson 10, Carson-Newman 9 (nine innings)
Anderson struck first in the third by taking advantage of a couple of free passes. A walk, a bunt single and a walk loaded the bases for the Trojans with one out. Morgan Charter started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Hannah Whitaker followed by blasting a three-run shot off the scoreboard in left center to stake Anderson to a 4-0 lead.
The Eagles responded immediately. KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) pounded a pitch opposite field to right with one out for a solo home run, the 19th of her career. After a walk to Katie Eakes (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.), Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) slugged her third home run of the season to centerfield to pull C-N within a run, 4-3.
C-N raced in front in the fifth thanks to an Anderson miscue. An infield single and an error gave C-N runners on the corners and two out.
Eakes slashed a three-run moon shot into the jet stream to right center to give C-N a 6-4 lead. Hughes then doubled before Rinus drove her in with a sinking single to center that staked the C-N advantage to 7-4.
Anderson responded in the bottom of the fifth. Gracie Williams led off the inning with a solo bomb. The Trojans then loaded the bases without an out with a bunt single, a knock back up the box and a hit batter. After back-to-back strikeouts, Matti Cantrell reached on an error at short that pulled the Trojans within a run, 7-6.
Williams did it again to start the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff jack to left to level things up 7-7.
Carson-Newman grabbed a lead in the top of the eighth. With Haley Schultz (Powell, Tenn.) placed on second as the international rule runner, SieAnna Cameron (Friendsville, Tenn.) drew a walk. After a strikeout, Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) knocked an infield single to third to load the bases.
After a K put the second out on the board, Eakes fouled off five pitches before working a bases-loaded walk to bring across the go-ahead run.
Anderson countered in the bottom of the eighth. A sacrifice bunt moved the international-rule runner to third before Rinus dealt a K to put the second out on the board. Williams drove in her third run of the day with a two-out bloop single to right to level things up before Rinus ended the frame inducing a ground out back to the circle.
C-N tallied another go-ahead run in the ninth. A fielder's choice gave C-N two base runners to start the inning. Keeley Quillen (Gate City, Va.) blooped a ball over the head of the third baseman to plate Macey Hughes and put C-N on the front foot 9-8.
However, the Trojans were able to walk if off in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back flyouts advanced and scored the international rule runner Kennedy Burton. Hannah Whitaker then tallied a two-out knock to right before moving to second on an error. Jessica Neadow delivered the winning run across with a bloop single to give the Trojans a 10-9 win.
Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) took the loss to drop to 5-8. She pitched 8.2 innings with nine strikeouts against two walks. She gave up 10 runs, only six of which were earned.
Sara Middleton got the win in relief for the Trojans. She pitched the final 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and two runs, both unearned in improving to 5-2 on the year.
Hughes and Rinus both tallied three-hit days for the Eagles while Eakes drove in four. Williams and Whitaker both had multi-hit and three-RBI days for the Trojans.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 4, Anderson 3 (eight innings)
Carson-Newman wasted zero time in grabbing a lead in game two. Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) clobbered the third pitch she faced over the fence in left to stake C-N to a 1-0 lead.
Anderson answered in the bottom of the second. Taylor Faircloth nipped a single to right center before Yas Laureano clobbered a two-run, two-out blast to right center to push AU back in front, 2-1.
Hughes leveled it up for C-N in the top of the sixth. She doubled down the left field line with one out then sprinted home when Quillen drove her in with a single to left.
Anderson threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Burton drew a two-out walk before Kasey Boatner dribbled a single through the left side of the infield. However, Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.) got a line out to center to end the threat.
The Eagles collected a timely hit to grab a lead in the top of the eighth. Hughes led off the inning with an infield single to short before Rinus dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Hughes and the international-rule pinch runner Madison Mathis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) into scoring position.
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Quillen came through with the clutch knock, doubling down the left field line to score both runners to give C-N a 4-2 lead.
The Trojans scraped across the international rule runner in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of groundouts, but couldn't string together hits to extend the game.
Baker-Celis locked up her third win in the circle to improve to 3-0. She dealt the complete game, 8.0-inning win surrendering nine hits with three runs, two earned. She walked one and struck out three.
Lauren Maxwell took the loss for Anderson to fall to 8-3. She gave up eight hits, four runs, three earned with three walks and four punch outs. Of the eight hits that Maxwell allowed, five were for extra bases.
Hughes was a flawless 3-for-3 at the plate with a double. Quillen drove in the tying run and the go ahead runs to drive in three on the day.
Carson-Newman breaks for Easter before returning to The Vick Wednesday against Tusculum. First pitch against the Pioneers is set for 1 p.m. Coverage of the contests will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
