ANDERSON, S.C. – Third-seeded Carson-Newman (32-16), got a go-ahead sacrifice fly from Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) to take a 10-inning, instant classic from second-seeded and host Anderson (31-15) Saturday afternoon at the Anderson Softball Complex in the opening rounds of the SAC Championships.
Carson-Newman advances to championship Sunday for the opening rounds and will need to win once on Sunday to advance to the championship series for the league's tournament. Anderson will face elimination later Saturday evening.
The 10-inning contest is tied with five other games for the longest extra-innings affair in school history.
Starting pitcher Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) became the second pitcher in school history to collect a 10-inning, complete-game victory.
"I am extremely pleased with the effort we got for all those innings," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "Emma on the mound battled early then settled in and was huge for us. Our defense was phenomenal the whole game and made some great plays. I think we let them off the hook a lot early in the game because we had a lot more opportunities than they did to score, but just couldn't come through with a timely hit.
"This team stayed with it though and found a way to win! Freshman Riley Sharp filled some big shoes after Macey got hurt. We needed that win cause we got teams in the region ranked ahead of us who we have a better record than, swept and/or didn't even qualify for their conference tournament."
Anderson struck first with the long ball in the bottom of the second. Hannah Whitaker clubbed a pitch to center to lead off the inning for a solo blast and a 1-0 lead for AU.
The Trojans played add on in the third. A bunt single, a sacrifice bunt and a Carson Hobbs infield single to second gave the Trojans runners on the corners with one out. Whitaker took advantage of the situation to drive in her second run with a single to center.
The Eagles answered the bell in the top of the fifth. Riley Sharp started the rally with a single through the right side. She scored from three bases away on a Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) double down the left field line. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) leveled the score with an RBI single to left. She moved to third on a two-base throwing error. The Eagles had runners on the corners with one out, but a double-play ball to second ended the threat.
The Eagles retake the lead in the 10th after a SAC Fly from @abbimartin10
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 27, 2024
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Carson-Newman grabbed the lead in the top of the ninth. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) led off the inning with a base hit through the right side before stealing second. After a strikeout, Sharp sent a base hit to left to score Martin before moving to second on the throw. After a groundout, Bailey shot a gap shot to left center to plate Sharp and give C-N a 4-2 edge.
Anderson countered in the bottom of the ninth. Ava Worthy led off the inning with a double through the left side. Jenna Davis bounced a single off the pitcher and into no-man's land to score Worthy and make it a one-run game. After a strike out, Davis moved to third on a fly out to right. Maddie Carpenter came through in the clutch with a high chopper to short. She beat Dye's throw to first and scored Davis to force the game to a 10th inning.
The Eagles retook the lead in the top of the 10th. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) got plunked to lead off the inning before Alaina Smith (Lebanon, Tenn.) pinch-ran for her. An error on a sacrifice bunt, followed by a successful sacrifice bunt from Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) gave the Eagles two runners in scoring position. Martin delivered the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center to give C-N a 5-4 lead.
The Eagles retake the lead in the 10th after a SAC Fly from @abbimartin10
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 27, 2024
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⚔ @AUtrojanssb 4
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The Trojans got the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the bottom of the 10th, but couldn't come up with the timely hit to extend the game.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) danced around things to log just the second 10-inning, complete-game win in school history. She tossed 145 pitches and struck out six while navigating around 12 hits and four runs, two earned. Of the 12 hits Anderson tallied, only two were extra-base knocks. She improved to 18-3 with the win.
Alli Webster (2016 v. Tusculum) is the only other C-N pitcher to hurl a 10-inning complete-game victory.
Carson Hobbs dropped to 6-3 taking the loss in relief. She pitched the final 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and three runs, two earned, with six strikeouts. SAC Pitcher of the Year Laken Maxwell started and twirled the first 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and two runs. She fanned nine and walked three.
The 15 times that C-N struck out are tied for the fourth-most in a game in school history.
Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) tallied a three-hit day batting out of the nine-hole. Bailey was 2-for-4 with two runs driven in. She has 61 runs batted in for the year to become the second player in school history to drive in 60 or more runs in consecutive seasons. Sharp logged her first career multi-hit day, coming off the bench to go 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Whitaker paced the Trojans offense with two hits and two RBI. Davis, Hobbs and Worthy all logged two-hit days as well.
Carson-Newman will need to win one Sunday to advance to the SAC Championship series. The Eagles will play at 1:30 and await the winner of the third game of the day Saturday. The Eagles will play either Anderson, Newberry or Lincoln Memorial, with their opposition needing to beat C-N twice to end the Eagles' foray in the SAC tournament. The game will be available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloSB.
