JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Junior pitcher Ashley Boyd (Chattanooga, Tenn.) tossed a four-hit shutout, and junior Whitney Durham (Rossville, Ga.) delivered the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Carson-Newman softball team to a 1-0 victory over Limestone in game two on Wednesday, giving it a split in the series. Limestone defeated the Lady Eagles, 4-2, in eight innings in the first game at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.
With the split, C-N is now 29-6 on the season, while Limestone drops to 31-18.
In the first game, Limestone used a three-run outburst in the eighth inning and held on for a 4-2 victory.
The Lady Eagles collected seven hits in the contest, including two each from Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Durham. Sara Little (Calhoun, Ga.) added a RBI double.
Limestone tallied six hits. Lauren Myers (Blackstone, Va.) and Kelsey Kuykendall (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) recorded two hits apiece, while Kirstyn Burleson (Candler, N.C.) added a two-run single in the win.
Saints starting pitcher Emily Wallace (Winchester, Ky.) worked all eight innings to earn the win. Wallace (7-4) surrendered one earned run and seven hits and fanned six.
Sophomore Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) was tagged with the loss to fall to 9-4 on the season. Shealy allowed two runs and three hits in one inning of relief work.
Limestone grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second, as Kuykendall singled to lead off the inning and later scored on an error, but C-N answered to tie the game in the home half of the inning on a RBI double by Durham.
The teams then went scoreless during the next five frames, forcing the contest into extra innings.
The Saints came alive offensively in the eighth, tallying three runs on three hits. Jordan Smith (Goose Creek, S.C.) produced a RBI single, and Burleson delivered a two-run single in the inning.
The Lady Eagles tallied a run on a RBI double by Little in the home half of the eighth, but Wallace was able to record the final three outs to seal the win.
In game two, Boyd (17-2) kept the Limestone bats at bay as she scattered four hits across eight innings. She also finished with two strikeouts and three walks.
Durham then lofted a single to left field in the eighth to push across Ashlee Dillard (Roanoke, Va.) for the winning run.
C-N collected seven hits for the game, including two by Little.
Kayla Hamalainen (Surrey, British Columbia) tallied two hits to lead Limestone.
Limestone starting pitcher Leah Quant (Charlotte, N.C.) surrendered one unearned run and seven hits to fall to 15-6 on the year. Quant also fanned five.
The Lady Eagles return to action on Saturday at Newberry. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
