GAFFNEY, S.C. – Both No. 18 Carson-Newman (22-4, 3-1 South Atlantic Conference) and Limestone (21-7, 4-4 SAC) produced six-run frames to define a doubleheader split Tuesday afternoon at Babe Ruth Field.
Limestone scored six times in the third inning of game number one en route to a 6-5 win over the Eagles to put a halt to C-N's 11-game winning streak. Then, Carson-Newman countered in the night cap with a six-run third of its own to power the Eagles to a 7-1 win to salvage the split.
The Saints snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series with the win in game one.
"I thought we played pretty well for 13 innings, there's just that one inning from game one that I'd like to have back," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We definitely left too many runners in scoring position, and it really hurt us in game one. Game two was more what were used to seeing out of this ball club. I'm never happy with a split, but ultimately, we did play well for the majority of these games, just a couple situations I'd like to redo."
Carson-Newman left 17 runners on base between the two games and hit 7-of-29 (.241) with runners in scoring position.
Emily Harris (Cumming, Ga.) went 5-for-8 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Natalie Corbin (Tybee Island, Ga.) and Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) both hit .500 for the twinbill.
GAME ONE: Limestone 6, Carson-Newman 5
Carson-Newman grabbed an early lead without getting a hit. In the top of the second, Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) got plunked to lead off the inning. She stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) drove her home with a sacrifice fly into foul ground along the right field line.
The Eagles' lead was short-lived. Limestone countered immediately in the bottom of the second. Madison Vinicombe led off the inning with a walk, before back-to-back singles, the second from Eryn Butler shot through the left side of the infield, tied things up. A Carley Womack one-out, infield single back to the circle gave Limestone a 2-1 lead.
Ashley Parnell clobbered a two-out, three-run home run to left center to make it a five-run frame. Desiree Bain completed the big inning with an RBI double. When the dust settled, the Saints had six runs off six hits and a 6-1 lead through two.
Carson-Newman countered with a four-run frame of its own to get within a run in the top of the third. C-N got two in scoring position to start the inning with Natalie Corbin (Tybee Island, Ga.) got plunked and Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) doubled to left. Emily Harris (Cumming, Ga.) knocked in a run with a single to left, but got cut down trying for an extra base.
A batter later, Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) grooved a 2-2 pitch out of the park to centerfield to pull the Eagles within two runs. Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) completed the rally with a two-out RBI double to left to get the Eagles within the run, 6-5.
After the explosiveness of the two innings, the teams wouldn't score the rest of the way. Carson-Newman got the tying run to third in the final three innings of the contest, but never could come through with the clutch knock to level the game.
Haley White logged the win for the Saints to move to 11-1 on the year. She worked the first four innings, surrendering five hits and five runs, four earned. She walked three, hit three and struck out two.
Makayla Cyzick got a three-inning save. She struck out four and gave up just two hits in her 3.0-inning relief outing.
Sara King (Cumming, Ga.) was shackled with her second loss of the year to fall to 12-2. She gave up a season-high 12 hits.
Carson-Newman was 3-for-14 (.214) with runners in scoring position, while Limestone was 5-for-9 (.556).
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 7, Limestone 1
Carson-Newman struck first in game two. Corbin led off the game with a double down the left field line and moved to third on a wild pitch. Sohm drove her home with a sacrifice fly into foul ground to left to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead after a half inning.
Limestone answered in the bottom of the first. Ashley Parnell led off the game with a walk and moved to second and third on wild pitches before taking home on a wild pitch that ended up walking Ragan Bristol to tie the game at 1-1.
The Eagles found their offense in the top of the third. Corbin led off the inning with a single through the left side before stealing second. Harris nipped an infield single to second two batters later. However, a high throw forced the Saints first baseman to go split-legged and Corbin took advantage by racing home from two bases away on the infield single.
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— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) March 15, 2022
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A wild pitch moved Harris over to third for Dye to drive in with a single to center. Hughes clobbered a 2-2 pitch out of the park to left center.
However, Carson-Newman wasn't done in the inning. A bloop single for Vandergriff and a walk to Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) set the table for a two-out rally for SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.). Cameron slashed a two-RBI triple to the alleyway in left center to stake the Eagles to a 7-1 lead.
It's a six-run inning as Cameron slashes a two-RBI TRIPLE!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) March 15, 2022
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That lead would hold as Rogers retired the final seven batters she faced in order to lock up the win. The freshman moved to 6-1 in the circle with the triumph. She allowed just three hits while walking three and fanning eight.
Cyzick took the loss for the Saints to drop to 4-3. She worked the first 2.1 innings, giving up five hits and four runs, all earned. She struck out two.
Limestone was hitless (0-for-10) with runners on base in the night cap.
Both Corbin and Harris tallied three-hit days.
Carson-Newman returns home Friday to take on Queens at 1 p.m. Coverage on the Eagle Sports Network is available at cneagles.com/live.
