NEWBERRY, S.C.- No. 18 Carson-Newman (25-7, 6-4 South Atlantic Conference) brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning of both games of a doubleheader at Newberry (26-10, 7-5 SAC), but never could collect the timely knock as the Wolves took two from the Eagles Saturday at the Smith Road Complex.
The Wolves took game one 8-4 as C-N left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Newberry won the night cap 5-4. The Eagles scored the final four runs of the game, but left the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second in the night cap.
"We just flat out got beat," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We got beat hitting. We got beat fielding. We got beat pitching. We got beat catching. We got beat coaching cause her (Newberry head coach Ciria Triplett) players were out there trying to make a statement from pitch one in the first game."
It marks the first time this season that Carson-Newman has been swept or lost back-to-back games. The Wolves have won four straight games over the Eagles, the longest win streak for Newberry in series history.
After winning 12 consecutive, the Eagles have dropped three of their last four games.
"We were very passive at the plate the first 10 innings today, and, to be blunt, just not very good at any aspect of the game," Graves said. "We repeatedly let Newberry's pitchers get away throwing us waist high balls over the plate that we took for strikes. After the fourth inning of game two, it was a totally different mindset and approach in the box and we pounded the ball. I'm glad we didn't quit, but unless we start learning from these things, it's going to continue to happen. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to get a lot tougher as individuals and as a team. We have a lot of talent but that alone doesn't win many ballgames in this conference."
GAME ONE: Newberry 8, Carson-Newman 4
The contest was a pitcher's duel early. The Wolves snagged an opening lead without a hit in the bottom of the first. Mallena Wright walked to lead off the game, moved to second on a sacrifice and took third on a wild pitch. Hannah Towery drove her home with a sacrifice fly to right center.
Carson-Newman would respond with a run in the top of the fourth. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) moved into 10th on the program's single-season home run chart by lifting off for her 11th bomb of the year. She poked a 1-0 pitch over the fence in right center to tie the game at 1-1.
That tie would be short-lived. Newberry broke up Syerra Rogers' (Graysville, Tenn.) no-hit bid in the bottom of the fourth. After a lead-off hit batter, and back-to-back pop ups that didn't leave the infield, a two-out walk set the table for Tori Rose. A single to second brought in two runs before Vanessa Wilson slugged her fourth home run of the year to center field to put the Wolves up 5-1.
A Towery RBI single would stretch the edge to five runs in the fifth before Sierra Brogdon drove in two with a single to left in the sixth to set the Wolves up 8-1.
Carson-Newman did make moves in the bottom of the top of the seventh. Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) started the frame with two singles before Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) walked to load the bases.
Natalie Corbin (Tybee Island, Ga.) drove in a run with a single to left before Emily Harris (Cumming, Ga.) hit a fielder's choice to the second baseman. The Wolves tried to turn two to end the game, but a throwing error let another run score and set the final margin at 8-4. The Eagles would get another single and a hit batter to re-load the bases, but a ground out to third ended the rally.
Rogers took the loss to fall to 8-2. She dealt a 4.0-inning start, giving up six runs, all earned, off six hits. She walked three and struck out four.
Lindsey Foster logged a complete game win for the Wolves to stay perfect at 5-0. She gave up seven hits and four runs, three earned while walking three and striking out three.
GAME TWO: Newberry 5, Carson-Newman 4.
Newberry got on the front foot with a three-run first headlined by an RBI double from Towery and a two-run blast from Mackenzie Turner to center field.
The Wolves stretched the edge to 5-0 in the third with a Brogdon RBI fielder's choice and a Turner infield single to third.
Carson-Newman started to find its offensive footing in the fourth. Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) punched an RBI single down the left field line with two out to get C-N within four.
C-N scored two more in the fifth. Rogers raced home on a wild pitch with runners on the corners before Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) brought Corbin in with an RBI groundout.
The Eagles scratched within one in the sixth thanks to an RBI fielder's choice from Rogers.
In the seventh, the Eagles got a one-single to short from Harris and a two-out double to left center from Hughes to put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. However, a fly out to left center ended the Eagles' threat.
Sara King (Cumming, Ga.) took the loss to fall to 13-4. She pitched the complete-game, surrendering seven hits and five runs, all earned. She walked one and fanned five.
Brittany Crowson moved to 2-1 for Newberry in a 6.0-inning start. She scattered eight hits and allowed all four runs while walking two and striking out a pair.
Alexandrea Sullivan pitched the final inning to earn the save, her second of the year.
Carson-Newman stays on the road Wednesday to take on a nationally-ranked Lincoln Memorial team at 1 p.m. at Dorothy Neely Field.
