Lady Eagles split with Bellarmine
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles split a Sunday afternoon softball doubleheader with visiting Bellarmine, winning game one, 7-2, before falling in game two, 6-2. With the split, C-N moves to 3-1 on the year, while Bellarmine opens its season at 1-1.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles split a Sunday afternoon softball doubleheader with visiting Bellarmine, winning game one, 7-2, before falling in game two, 6-2.
With the split, C-N moves to 3-1 on the year, while Bellarmine opens its season at 1-1.
Game 1 - Carson-Newman 7, Bellarmine 2
Carson-Newman used a seven-run fourth inning to break open a 1-0 game and put game one out of reach.
Bellarmine grabbed a 1-0 lead with a sun in the second inning when Casey Cleary scored after leading off the inning with a single.
The Lady Eagles broke the game open in a big way with a seven-run inning in the bottom of the fourth.
C-N had nine consecutive batters reach, seven on base hits, to put together its biggest inning of the season to date.
Kim Whaley delivered the big blow in the frame, a double off the fence in left center to score Cassidy Skeen and give the Lady Eagles a 4-1 lead.
C-N kept the inning rolling with its speed. Freshmen Shelby Robertson and Jessica Morgan each had infield singles to keep the inning alive.
Catcher Bri Shoemake capped the inning with a double down the left field line to plate two and extend the lead to 7-1.
Robertson led the Lady Eagles with a 3-for-4 day and an RBI.
Whaley and Mary Shealy each added two hits, both hits, and an RBI.
Shealy went the distance for C-N to improve to 3-0 on the year. She allowed one earned run and five hits, striking out four.
Kelsey Hicks led Bellarmine with an RBI double.
Game 2 – Bellarmine 6, C-N 2
Bellarmine scored four times, including two unearned runs, in the fourth inning to grab a 6-2 win in game two.
Carson-Newman took a 1-0 lead in third inning on a solo home run by Sara Kelley. The sophomore ripped an offering from BU's Amanda Meyer over the centerfield fence to give C-N an early lead.
Meyer would scatter seven C-N hits and strike out eight the rest of the way to keep the Lady Eagles at bay.
Bellarmine put together five straight hits in the fourth to seize control in game two.
The Knights took advantage of a one-out bobble by C-N's Caitlyn Lance at first base to break the game open. A double by catcher Scarlett Powers got things started. Cynthia Brown followed with a two-run double to the gap in right-center to give BU a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Eagles hurt their own cause, misplaying a rundown as Brown was caught between second and third, but Sara Kelley's throw got away from bounced off of Robertson and into left field as Brown came around to score.
Carson-Newman threatened in the fifth, moving runners into scoring position on a single by Whaley and a walk by Kelley, but Meyer worked her way out of the jam with a strikeout and an infield pop-up.
Bellarmine added another run in the sixth on a two-out single by Kelsey Hicks, plating Lauren Summe who reached on a double.
The Lady Eagles would add a run and threaten again in the sixth, as Bethany Davis singled home Bri Shoemake to cut the lead to 6-2. Shoemake doubled off the centerfield fence to begin the threat. Cassie Elliott walked to give the Lady Eagles a pair of base runners again, but Meyer induced a pop out from Whaley and a long fly out from Caitlyn Lance to end the inning.
Summer led the Knight with a 3-for-5 afternoon. Erin Sireno added two hits in the win.
Kelley went 2-for-2 for the Lady Eagles.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Wednesday against Queens (N.C.). First pitch of the doubleheader is at 1 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C.
-C-N-
