MARS HILL, N.C. - Mars Hill and Carson-Newman split a softball doubleheader at Ponder Field to open South Atlantic Conference play on Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Eagles (15-8-1, 1-1 SAC) won the first game, 8-0, and the Lions (16-6, 1-1 SAC) won the second contest, 7-2.

A Kim Whaley (Maryville, Tenn.) RBI single in the second inning gave Carson-Newman a 1-0 lead. The Lady Eagles plated three more runs in the third, highlighted by a Whaley two-run single to right field. Whaley went 3-for-3 with six RBIs to lead C-N.

Mary Shealey's (Clinton, S.C.) solo homerun off Tara West in the fifth inning gave Carson-Newman a six-run advantage. Whaley hit a two-run shot down the left field line in the seventh for the final margin.

Shealey earned a complete-game victory in the first contest with a five-hit shutout. West fell to 6-2 with the loss, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits in a complete game in the circle.

Mars Hill jumped out to a two-run lead in the second inning of game two. Kendra Reeder and Megan Arrington each had RBI singles in the frame.

The Lady Eagles cut the deficit to one run in the top of the third inning, but Natalie Haithcox took a Shealey offering over the right field fence for a three-run blast in the bottom of the frame to make the score 5-1. Amy Lawrence (Knoxville, Tenn.) hit a solo homer off Taylor Morris in the top of the fourth to trim to margin to three runs, but Arrington and Ashley McCurry scored another two runs for the Lions in the bottom of the inning.

Morris improved to 7-1 with a complete-game victory. She gave up two earned runs on five hits.

Shealey fell to 12-6 after the loss in game two, surrendering seven runs, two earned, on eight hits in six innings. Carson-Newman committed four errors in the second game.

The Lady Eagles return to action on Wednesday at home against Erskine. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

(Courtesy of Mars Hill Sports Information)