MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Hayden Dye and Emily Harris became the ninth and 10th players in school history to hit three doubles in a game as C-N split a pair of contests on the second day of the Georgia College Invitational at the Peeler Complex.
Florida Tech (1-2) scored six runs in the second inning and stiff-armed a late C-N rally to collect a 9-6 win in the first game of the day. Then, after a 3:46-wait, Carson-Newman (3-1) scored eight unanswered runs to take an 8-3 win over Emmanuel (2-1) in the night cap.
Dye matched the single-game doubles record in the opening game against Florida Tech, while Harris did it in the night cap against the Lions.
They are the first players to hit three doubles in a game since Elayna Siebert did it against Wingate, April 16, 2016. They share the record with their assistant coach Kristen Toppel, who did it against Fort Valley State, Feb. 19, 2015.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are two things that will beat you in any level of softball regardless how good you play - walks and errors." Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "It's tough when you out -hit a team and have more earned runs but get a loss."
The Eagles had more hits than the Panthers in game one (13-12). Of the nine runs FIT scored, only four were earned. The Eagles issued four free passes and hit two batters in the first game.
Carson-Newman hit 10 doubles across the two games.
TOUCH. EM. ALL.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 6, 2022
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"I am proud of how we responded against a good team in the night cap. Left some people on early and fell behind," Graves said. "The great thing about this team and this offense is no matter the score, we never think we are out of it."
GAME ONE: Florida Tech 9, Carson-Newman 6
Florida Tech rode a six-run second inning to a 9-6 win in the first game of the day at the Georgia College Invitational.
Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) got the scoring started for C-N with a two-out, two-RBI double in the bottom of the first inning.
However, the Panthers sent nine to the plate and scored six runs in the top of the second aided by two hit batters and three walks. The six-run outburst would be enough to carry the Panthers to the win.
Carson-Newman got within three runs in the third on a SieAnna Cameron (Friendsville, Tenn.) RBI groundout, but the Panthers scraped across a run in the fourth on a Miracle SAC fly and two in the fifth on a French two-run double to stretch the margin to 9-3.
Carson-Newman scored twice in the bottom of the fifth with a Dye RBI double and a wild pitch on a strikeout.
C-N brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.
Dye doubled to center to lead off the inning before taking third on a ground out. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) drove her home with a two-out single to left. Carson-Newman got the tying run up after a base on balls, but a ground out to the pitcher ended the rally.
Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) got hit with the loss to drop to 0-1. Rogers worked the first 1.1 innings, allowing four runs, but also walking four. She didn't give up a hit.
Guider logged the win for FIT to improve to 1-1. She worked around seven hits in a 4.0-inning start, giving up three runs, two earned. Hendrian collected a three-inning save for the Panthers.
Dye and Hughes both had three-hit days for C-N. Both players drove in a run.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 8, Emmanuel 3
Emmanuel struck first. After a one-out single to left from Varner. Hogan came up with two away. She tanked a 2-2 pitch to center off the netting above the Peeler Complex to give the Lions a 2-0 lead after one.
The Lions got more clutch two-out, big-bat hitting in the second when Grace Thompson laced a high pitch to center to plate a run and give Emmanuel a 3-0 lead.
Carson-Newman's offense got on track in the top of the third. Mary Vandergriff (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led off the inning with a double to left before moving to third on a Natalie Corbin (Cumming, Ga.) single. Emily Harris (Tybee Island, Ga.) scored them both with a double to right before Holt tied the game with an RBI fielder's choice that squeaked into right.
And a little cushion courtesy Emily Harris. Eagles have scored five unanswered.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) February 6, 2022
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C-N took the lead in the top of the fourth. After a one-out single from Kennedy Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.), Corbin blooped an RBI single into left to give C-N the lead. Harris added to the advantage in the frame with an RBI double to left to put C-N up 5-3 with a fifth unanswered run.
Warder added a third insurance run in the top of the fifth with an RBI single with two outs to right.
Then Warder iced it in the seventh with a two-run home run, the first of her career.
Sara King went the distance in the circle for the win. She scattered eight hits to improve to 2-0. She didn't strike anyone out, but only walked one.
Edwards took the loss for Emmanuel, she falls to 0-1.
Carson-Newman opens the doors to the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex at noon Wednesday with a doubleheader against the Lees-McRae Bobcats. Coverage is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
