VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Highlights
VIDEO: Macey Hughes Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) delivered a pair of timely two-out hits to help Carson-Newman (19-11, 12-10 South Atlantic Conference) battled back to win the night cap and secure a doubleheader split with Catawba (24-10, 11-9 SAC) Monday at The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Hughes, who rides a seven-game hitting streak, was three-for-three in the night cap with a two-out RBI double and a two-out, two-run home run.
She helped power the offense to a 7-4 win in the nightcap after Catawba used a potent pitching effort from Brooke Walser to collect a 6-1 win in game one of the doubleheader.
"We had a much better approach at the plate in game two than in game one," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We let them determine what they did to us pitching wise. In game two we were able to make them pitch behind in the count. I was pleased with how we executed those adjustments."
Hughes was 1-for-3 at the dish in game one with a run scored.
"If there has been a freshman more important to their team than that kid has been for us, I'd like to see it," Graves said. "I know there are some good freshmen in the country, but she's been such a sparkplug. She doesn't back down from a lot of pitches and has gotten going in some huge situations for us."
Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) and Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) also tallied multi-hit efforts in the nightcap. Smith drove in a pair and produced her ninth home run of the season.
Carson-Newman snapped a four-game losing streak to Catawba with the game two win.
The series also extended a string of six straight game one losses in SAC doubleheaders and four straight splits.
GAME ONE: Catawba 6, Carson-Newman 1
Jordan Dean laced a two-out double into the right center alleyway. Gracie Gibson then smashed a single off Baker-Celis in the circle, the ball caromed to third. Dean was able to score and beat the throw home after Shannon Smith tried to get the batter at first. Catawba led 1-0 after one.
The Indians took advantage of another Eagle miscue in the second. Riley Tucker led off the inning with a stinging single to center. She moved to third on a dropped fly ball in center off the bat of Allie Baker. Lexi Bryant then hit a deep fly ball to right for a sacrifice fly to score Tucker and give Catawba a 2-0 advantage after 1.5 innings.
Catawba got another unearned run in the top of the fourth. Bryant reached on a dropped fly ball in left with one out. A Kasey Rowden single moved Bryant to third before she scored on a Sydney Goertzen RBI knock to left for a 3-0 Catawba lead.
The Indians played add on in the seventh. Brittany Ireland slugged a two-run home run and Summer Howerton knocked in a run with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left.
A Haley Schultz (Powell, Tenn.) sacrifice fly gave C-N its only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh to break up Brooke Walser's shutout.
Walser improved to 11-4 on the year with the W. She gave up three hits in the complete-game, walking one and fanning six.
Walser didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning when Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) delivered a single through the left side.
Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.) took her first loss of the year. She gave up 11 hits and six runs, four of which were earned. She didn't issue a free pass and struck out four.
Carson-Newman made four errors for the second time this season, and the first since March 4 against Coker.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 7, Catawba 4
Much like game one, Catawba got on the board with a single run in the first. A double from Goertzen and an infield single from Carlee Brawley gave the Indians two in scoring position after a steal. Brittany Ireland scored the lead runner with a sacrifice fly into foul ground in right for a 1-0 edge after a half inning.
However, unlike game one, Carson-Newman responded immediately. Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) led off the game with a single slashed to left.
She took second on a failed pick off attempt and a throwing error by the catcher. Sohm tagged to move to third on a fly ball to right. However, the cutoff was booted into left by Dean allowing Sohm to race home to tie the game.
A batter later, Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) went yard for the ninth time this year on a 2-2 pitch to push C-N in front 2-1.
The Eagles added to it in the bottom of the third. Sohm walked to lead off the inning, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher. She scored when Smith looped a single through the left side.
Carson-Newman kept the party rolling with two outs. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) rocked a double to the right center alleyway for one before Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) hit a double inside the chalk on the left field line to score another. Thanks to the back-to-back two-out tallies, the Eagles led 5-1 through three.
Hughes provided some more two-out magic in the fifth. After a Katie Eakes (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) walk, Hughes smacked her fourth home run of the season to center to give C-N a 7-1 edge through five off the Eagles' fifth two-out hit of the game.
Catawba countered in the top of the sixth. Katelyn Jones knocked a pinch-hit double to right to drive in one while a fielding error on the cutoff allowed a second run to come in on the play. Sommer Gray added to the tally in the frame with an RBI infield single to short to bring the Indians within three runs, 7-4.
Catawba brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh after an infield single and a hit batsman, but Rinus doused the flames with a fly out and two fielder's choices.
Rinus logged the win in the circle to improve to 6-9. She scattered nine hits and allowed four runs, three earned in the complete-game. She fanned six and didn't walk a batter.
Whitley Arnott dropped to 4-2 with the loss in a 3.0-inning start. She gave up six hits and five runs, all earned.
Carson-Newman concludes SAC play Saturday at Lenoir-Rhyne with a 2 p.m. first pitch.
