JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (18-10, 11-9 South Atlantic Conference) will wrap up the scheduled portion of its home slate with a pivotal SAC series with Catawaba (23-9, 10-8 SAC) Monday at 1 p.m. at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Carson-Newman enters the final week of the regular season tied for fifth in the league standings with Wingate. The Indians have played two fewer games than C-N and are also two games above .500 in league play sitting in fourth thanks to a higher winning percentage.
"We absolutely have to start fast," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We have struggled to win game ones for the last month. A quick start and pair of complete game are we what we need as we head down this stretch run."
The Eagles have a two-game lead on a three-team cluster that is vying for the final spot in the tournament. Coker, UVA Wise and Newberry all sit two games below .500 looking to lock up the eighth spot in the conference tournament.
Carson-Newman will be trying to put a halt to a three-game losing streak to Catawba. The Eagles last win over the Indians came 5-0 in game one of a doubleheader in 2018 at Nan Whitley Field. That win helped C-N clinch a spot in the SAC tournament.
The Eagles have been struggling in game ones of doubleheaders of late. Carson-Newman hasn't won the first game of a conference twin bill since beating Limestone 9-1 on March 10. The Eagles have dropped six straight game ones in league play. The Eagles do have a non-conference game one win against Bluefield State in that span.
Lacie Rinus became Carson-Newman's fourth member of the 600 K club in C-N's game one win over Limestone on March 10. Rinus is fourth all-time in Ks at Carson-Newman with 628. She needs 34 more to catch Carson-Newman Hall of Famer Heather Randolph (662) for third all-time.
If the season were to end today, Shannon Smith would have produced the second-highest slugging percentage in Carson-Newman softball history. She sits at .853 behind Brittany Hefner's absurd .967 from 2013. Smith has tallied hits in 22 of Carson-Newman's last 24 games.
KaraLynne Levi's next jack will put her into the 20-home run club for a career at Carson-Newman. She looks to be the 12th member of that grouping. Two home runs will tie her with Katie Pritchett and Staci Fish for the 10th most all-time (21).
Levi needs three more RBI to catch Lisa Rogers for the sixth most alltime in C-N history with 143. Levi enters these midweek games with 140 driven in all-time.
The matchup features the top two scoring offenses in the South Atlantic Conference. Carson-Newman and Catawba have combined to score 405 runs this year. The Indians rank 10th nationally with their 200 runs.
Jordan Dean has been one of the SAC's top bats this year. Dean is ninth nationally and third in the SAC with nine home runs. She ranks 12th nationally and third in the SAC with 36 runs batted in.
First pitch between the Eagles and Indians is set for 1 p.m. Monday. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
