JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two of the five most prolific scoring offenses in NCAA Division II softball will run head to head when No. 18 Carson-Newman (25-5, 6-2 South Atlantic Conference) and Newberry (24-10, 5-5 SAC) play one another Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Smith Road Complex.
Carson-Newman ranks in the top 10 nationally in 10 offensive categories. The Eagles lead the nation in hits (336). Carson-Newman ranks second in doubles (70) and runs scored (266). The Eagles check in in third in doubles per game (2.33), scoring (8.87 runs per game) and triples (19). C-N is fourth in on-base percentage (.459) and fifth in batting average (.384), while they check in in sixth in triples per game (0.63). C-N is seventh in slugging percentage (.590), eighth in sac flies (12) and ninth in stolen bases (81).
Meanwhile, Newberry ranks fourth nationally in runs scored with 249. The Wolves lead the country with 72 doubles. They sit two spots behind C-N for the third most hits in the country with 313. Newberry's .351 batting average is the second best in the conference and 12th best in the country.
The Wolves' Hannah Towery leads the nation with an insane 17 doubles. She needs just six more to match Brittany Cherry of Lenoir-Rhyne (2010 - 23) for the single-season South Atlantic Conference record. Of Towery's 38 hits this season, 24 (17 doubles, one triple, six home runs) have gone for extra bases - 63.15 percent.
On the other hand, C-N's Emily Harris has cracked the 300-hit threshold for her career as NCAA Division II's active leader for hits. She needs 11 more hits to start moving up the top 25 list for career hits in NCAA Division II history.
Macey Hughes is third in the country with 46 RBI this season. Hughes has four games this year with at least four RBI and three with five or more. If Hughes maintains her average of 1.53 RBI per game, she could catch Brittany Hefner (2013) for the most RBI in a single season in SAC and school history (75).
Hughes has hit 10 home runs this season, she has the 17th double-digit home run season in school history. Her next bomb will tie her for 10th in a single season.
Emily Harris and Leah Sohm both rank in the top five nationally in hits. Harris is second with 52, while Sohm ranks third with 50. Both players stand poised to finish in the top five in program history for hits in a season if they conclude the year on their current hitting pace.
Newberry swept last year's doubleheader from Carson-Newman in Jefferson City – just the second time in series history the Wolves had taken two from Carson-Newman.
First pitch Saturday is set for 1 p.m. Follow @cn_eagles for live coverage of the two games.
