ALBERTVILLE, Ala. – Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) became the third player in program history to tally five hits in a game while Carson-Newman won a rout and a tight game Saturday on day two of the Charger Chillout.
Carson-Newman (8-2) run-ruled Shorter (2-3) 17-6 to start the day before scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth to rally to a 4-3 win over Delta State (2-5) in the nightcap.
Sohm tallied her quintet of hits against the Hawks. She is the first player to accomplish a five-hit day in 29 years for Carson-Newman. Sohm shares the record with Brandi Hardin (1991 against Cumberland), Kim Bingham (1992 against Maryville) and Suzi Campbell (1993 against Wingate, who was at the time coached by current Bulldog SID David Sherwood).
"She is so fast, you know she's capable of something like this," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "It's excellent for her and we are happy for her."
Sohm came within a double of the cycle against the Hawks. She hit an inside-the-park home run for her first career "dinger" in her 336th career at-bat.
Carson-Newman pounded out 27 hits between the two games. Sohm had six of the knocks, while SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) went 5-for-7 at the plate.
"SieAnna has been big for us all weekend," Graves said. "She has made ESPN highlight reel catchers in the outfield and been very productive with the bat. Our outfield has played at a high level all weekend and made some really great plays. We still need to adjust some things on the mound and defensively but offensively we are performing well."
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 17, Shorter 6 (six innings)
Carson-Newman piled on offensively early and often. Infield singles to short for Natalie Corbin (Tybee Island, Ga.) and second for Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) put two aggressive base runners on for C-N. The pair executed a double steal that saw Corbin race across home plate for a second time this season. An RBI single from Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) and an RBI double from Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) followed to put C-N up 3-0 after the first half inning.
It was two-out hitting that produced a pair of runs for the Eagles in the second. After SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) got on with a one-out single to left center, Sohm tripled down the left field line to plate one before Harris doubled in Sohm with a shot down the left field line. C-N was up 5-0 after two.
Then, the Eagles blew the barn doors off in the third. C-N sent 11 to the plate and scored eight runs off seven hits.
Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) started the scoring with her first career hit, a one-out double to left that plated one run. Cameron followed with another two-RBI double to center that stretched the Eagles lead to 8-0.
Then, the big moment, in her 337th career at-bat, Sohm ripped an inside-the-park home run that scored three runs and extended the edge to 11-0. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) cleared the dust with a two-run double to left center to put the Eagles up 13-0.
However, Shorter would rally. The Hawks scored six runs off six hits in the bottom of the third to get out of run-rule range 13-6. Two walks and a strikeout, wild pitch gave the Hawks three free bases. While an error in left helped extend the inning and score a run.
Carson-Newman took it back to run-rule territory in the top of the sixth. Hughes and Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) hit a double and a single before a walk to Robbins loaded the bases. Corbin took advantage with an inside-the-park grand slam for her first career home run in her 324th career at-bat.
Corbin's slash set the final margin at 17-6.
Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.) got the win in relief. She dealt 4.0 innings to move to 1-0, giving up five hits and just one run.
Aside from Sohm's record-matching hitting performance, she also scored three runs and drove in a career-high four. Corbin went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a career-high four batted in. Hughes had a three-hit day, while Cameron and Vandergriff both had multi-hit efforts. Every player who started for C-N had a hit by the third inning.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 4, Delta State 3
The Statesmen struck first without getting a hit in the top of the first.
Walks to Reagan Stafford and Jenny Griggers gave Delta State two base runners before the pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Karley Bloesch brought in a run on a sacrifice fly, while Griggers stole home on a base on balls to put DSU up 2-0 after a half inning.
Carson-Newman responded in the bottom of the third. Cameron led off the inning with a single through the right side. After a flyout and a hit batter, Harris put pressure on the Stateman defense with a fielder's choice that saw everyone reach successfully.
Dye took advantage with a base hit to short that plated Cameron. Hughes tied it with an RBI fielder's choice that saw Sohm beat the throw home to level it a 2-2.
DSU retook the lead in the fifth. Back-to-back bunt singles got the Statesmen started, before Katelyn Hayman sprinted home on a throwing error at short to give DSU a 3-2 lead.
Carson-Newman rallied for a fourth time this season in the bottom of the sixth. After a lead off ground out, Cameron singled up the middle and Corbin walked before the pair both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Sohm drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to left before Harris snapped a single to center to push across the go-ahead run.
Sara King (Cumming, Ga.) got the win in relief to improve to 5-0 on the year. She worked 5.0 innings of three-hit, one-run ball while walking three and striking out one.
Lacey Coats took the loss for DSU to fall to 1-1. She gave up eight hits and four runs in 6.0 innings.
Cameron and Harris had three hits and two hits, respectively. Harris tallied a multi-RBI day.
Carson-Newman wraps up the Charger Chillout Sunday against West Alabama and Miles.
