GAFFNEY, S.C. – Carson-Newman starter Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) scattered 10 hits over two games and Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) piled up five hits on the day as the Lady Eagles swept a doubleheader at Limestone College on Sunday afternoon, 2-0 and 5-3.
With the wins, Carson-Newman improves to 25-10-1 overall and has now won 18 of its last 22 games.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Lincoln Memorial in South Atlantic Conference play. First pitch is at 2 p.m. at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.
Game One (Courtesy Limestone College)
LC had a golden opportunity to score in the first inning when senior catcher Hannah Mills (Richmond, Va.) led off with a single through the left side, and advanced to second after a ground out. With line out in the next at bat, junior third baseman Jordan Smith (Goose Creek, S.C.) singled right back to the pitcher on the first pitch she saw. With runners on the corners, junior left fielder Jenna Guse (Pearland, Texas) grounded out to end the inning.
Carson-Newman just missed on scoring in the third inning, but pushed across the first run of the game in the following one. Starting pitcher Emily Wallace (Winchester, Ky.) got the first two batters out in the fourth, but Caitlyn Lance singled to right field to extend the inning. Sara Kelley followed her up with a bases clearing triple to right field to score the first run.
The Eagles tacked on another run in the fifth inning with leftfielder Dariayn Wright reaching first base on a hit-by-pitch. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Amber Hewitt, and then misfortune struck the Saints as catcher Bri Shoemake hit a chopper up the middle which appeared to be only a simple base hit. The ball bounced off the second base and ricocheted out into the outfield to allow Wright to score from second.
In the bottom of the fifth, Limestone had another chance to score with sophomore right fielder Kirstyn Burleson (Candler, N.C.) singling through the left side to get things started with one out. Sophomore designated player Shelby Webb (Hilliard, Fla.) then reached on a fielder's choice after the Eagles couldn't get the force out at second. After Wallace came in to planinch run for Webb, freshman second baseman Kayla Kelley (Simpsonville, S.C.) hit into another fielder's choice and this time they got the force at second, but Burleson was able to move to third to give LC runners on the corners. It was not meant to be as Mills grounded out to the second baseman to end the inning. That ended up being their last best chance to score as Limestone went 1-2-3 the final two innings.
Wallace pitched well as she went five strong innings, surrendering six hits and only two runs. She struck out four, walked one and hit two batters. Webb was also impressive in her two innings of relief as she only gave up two hits and had two strikeouts.
Game Two
The second game picked up in the bottom of the second with the Saints scoring first. After one out, Jenna Guse singled to the shortstop and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman first baseman Shelly Brown (Wilmington, N.C.) followed her up with her first career homerun over the left field wall.
After a scoreless third inning, C-N answered back with a three run inning to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore pitcher Leah Quant (Charlotte, N.C.) issued a walk and a hit-by-pitch to start off the inning. She got Kim Whaley to foul out to the catcher in the next at bat, but pitcher Mary Shealy helped her cause with a homerun to almost the same spot in leftfield where Brown hit hers.
Limestone nearly tied it back up in the bottom of the inning when Jordan Smith singled up the middle to start the inning. After a line out, Smith moves to second on a sacrifice hit back to the pitcher from Guse. Brown followed up with a single through the left side to move Smith to third base. Unfortunately, Kirstyn Burleson hit a ball the shortstop that caused Brown to be tagged out at second to end the inning.
The Saints finally tied things up in the bottom of the seventh when Burleson singled to right field to start things off. Emily Wallace came in to pinch run for Burleson, and Shelby Webb moved her to second on a sac bunt. Kayla Kelley then moved her to third on another sacrifice bunt. Hannah Mills finally brought her in when she hit a double to left field on a 2-0 count to push the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Quant had to work her way out of trouble when Bri Shoemake singled and stole second base to give the Eagles runners on second and third with one out. She worked her way out of trouble by getting the next two batters out on a pop up and a strike out.
Given new life, the Saints quickly moved junior shortstop Alex Aburto (Libertytown, Md.) over to third to start the bottom of the eighth. Freshman centerfielder Taylor Wigmore (Silver Spring, Md.) followed up with a hot shot to the pitcher and reached on a fielder's choice, but Aburto got caught too far off the bag and was called out ending Limestone's best chance to win the game.
Carson-Newman made Limestone pay for not scoring, by scoring two runs in the ninth inning to grab a 5-3 game two victory.
Quant pitched the full nine innings allowing only five hits, but she allowed four walks and had one hit batter. Guse and Brown each finished with two hits, and Mills and Burleson had one apiece.
