VIDEO: 2023 Catawba Highlight Reels
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (20-14, 10-4 South Atlantic Conference) will look to hop back on the winning track and snap a three-game losing streak when it heads to Salisbury, N.C. to challenge Catawba (16-20, 6-8 SAC) Saturday at 2 p.m. at Whitley Field.
Carson-Newman has won five straight in the series with the Indians and owns a 57-20 mark in the all-time ledger.
While C-N has won five straight over Catawba, both games last season with the Indians were decided by a run, 7-6 and 10-9. Carson-Newman never trailed in game one, but had to withstand three Catawba home runs before Abbi Martin sprinted home from two bases away on a fielding error to give C-N a 7-6 win. The Eagles then fell behind 8-2 after 4.5 innings in the night cap, only to score eight times in the final two frames to pull off the 10-9 win in the night cap and sweep Catawba. The six run deficit is the largest that Carson-Newman has overcome in the last 14 years
Catawba has been involved in some categorically bonkers games this season. On one hand, Catawba owns a sweep of No. 18 Lenoir-Rhyne and is one of four teams to beat No. 1 North Georgia this season. On the other, the Indians have been involved in six games this season featuring a combined 20 runs, they are 3-3 in said games.
Macey Hughes sits in sixth place in Carson-Newman history for career home runs with 27. She sits tied with Hall of Famer Whitney, while All-American Brittany Hefner is in fifth with 28, while All-American Abby Fiessinger is two bombs away with 29. Sara Kelley (2010-14) holds the program's all-time record with 35. Hughes is also top five all-time in RBI with 159. She is two away from All-American catcher Bri Shoemake and fourth place with 161.
With 11 home runs this season, Brooke Matyasovsky and Macauley Bailey lead the South Atlantic Conference in jacks. They both rank 13th nationally. The nation's leader - Valdosta State's Abby Sulte - has 22 home runs. Matyasovsky has 21 career home runs for the Orange and Blue - the 14th player in school history with 20. She has hit 62 home runs in her collegiate career - the seventh most among active players in all divisions and the most of any player actively playing in NCAA Division II.
Bailey has clobbered 26 home runs in her career. She sits a spot away from tying Macey Hughes for sixth all-time. Bailey and Brittany Hefner are the only players in school history with more than 25 home runs in two years. This marks the first time in program history Carson-Newman has three active players with 20 career home runs (Hughes, Bailey and Matyasovsky).
First pitch between the Eagles and Indians is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday. Coverage is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
