VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Game Two Highlights
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (7-9) went hitless in its first 13 trips to the plate with runners in scoring position.
However, the Eagles caught fire late, scoring five unanswered runs to salvage a split with UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon at The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
UNCP won game one 2-1 before the Eagles prevailed in the nightcap 7-3.
"It really took us 11 innings to hit the ball halfway decent," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "Bullard did a nice job keeping pitches away for them. We attempted to go with it, but just kept hitting ground balls to second and first. That was frustrating."
The loss in the first game spoiled a 10-strikeout performance by starting pitcher Emma Frost. However a two-homerun day by MJ Wilkes provided the Braves with enough cushion to collect a game one win.
"Emma did a nice job keeping them to two runs," Graves said. "If we hold someone to two runs, we should win every ball game. We can't pick and choose when our offense takes a rest."
Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) sparked the offense with a three-hit day in the night cap, while Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) belted her 21st career home run to move into a tie for 11th on the all-time list at C-N.
GAME ONE: UNC Pembroke 2, Carson-Newman 1
UNCP struck first in the top of the first. MJ Wilkes lofted a 3-2 pitch in to the atmosphere in left. It had enough pop to carry over the wall for a two-out solo blast and a 1-0 lead for the Braves.
Carson-Newman was able to even the score in the fifth. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. She stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) took advantage of the situation with a an RBI ground out to short to tie the game 1-1.
That tie would be short lived. Wilkes led off the sixth by drilling a 2-1 pitch on a line drive out of the park in center to put the Braves back in front 2-1. It was her second home run of the day and her fourth of the season.
That would be enough for the Braves. The Eagles got the tying run on in the sixth, but couldn't come up with the timely hit. C-N was retired in order in the seventh.
Summer Bullard got the win for UNCP to improve to 4-8. She scattered the two hits and the one run she allowed was unearned. However, she walked five, hit two and had to contend with three errors on base. She did hold the Eagles hitless in 10 trips to the plate with runners in scoring position.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) was the hard-luck loser. She gave up the two home runs, bother earned, while working around eight hits and one walk. She struck out 10.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 7, UNC Pembroke 3
C-N took advantage of UNCP miscues to grab a lead in the first. Martin led of the game with a single before Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) got plunked. Bailey hit a routine ground ball to third, but Emma Eckart's throw was high to first allowing Bailey to reach and Martin to score from second. The E5 gave C-N a 1-0 lead. C-N loaded the bases with no one out in the inning but could only plate one.
The lead would be short-lived. The Braves loaded the bases in the top of the second with two walks and a single. Bullard scored the tying run on a fielder's choice to short.
UNCP took the lead in the top of the third. A walk and a fielder's choice on a throwing error to short gave the Braves two on base with no one out. After a lineout to short, Chloe Locklear delivered an RBI double to right center to propel UNCP in front 2-1.
Bailey answered the bell in the bottom of the third, launching a 1-0, one-out pitch to left to tie the game 2-2 with her 21st career home run.
Charotte Rose drilled a leadoff blast to straight away center to propel UNCP back in front 3-2 in the top of the fourth.
C-N responded with a four-run bottom of the inning. C-N sent 10 to the plate and logged five hits in the inning. Wynter Morris (Crozet, Va.) tied the game with an RBI single to center. It was two-out hitting that put C-N in front. Hughes drilled a two-run double down the left field line to give C-N the lead before Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) extended it with a bloop single to right center. The Eagles led 6-3 when the dust settled.
Carson-Newman would plate a fifth straight unanswered run in the bottom of the fifth. Martin tallied a two-out RBI for an unearned run after an error extended the inning and C-N's lead to 7-3.
NicKolette Ferguson got the win in relief to improve to 3-0 on the year. She worked the final four innings in three-hit shutout fashion with a walk allowed.
Kinsley Sheppard took the loss to fall to 3-5. She pitched the first 3.22 innings and gave up six hits and six runs, all earned.
Carson-Newman opens up SAC play Tuesday at Coker. A video stream of the doubleheader is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloSB.
