WINGATE, N.C. – In weeks past it had been the Brittany Hefner (Talbot, Tenn.) show for Carson-Newman (19-9, 4-2 South Atlantic Conference) offensively. In Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Wingate (15-14-1, 1-5 SAC), the Eagles had eight different players drive in runs and every player who batted had at least one hit between the two games.
The Eagles won game one 5-4 before taking game two 4-2.
Game one: C-N 5, Wingate 4
Carson-Newman improved its record to 4-3 in one-run games while handing Wingate its fourth one-run loss in conference play with its 5-4 game one win over the Bulldogs.
Carson-Newman did its damage in the first and fifth innings, but to the Bulldogs' credit, they limited the damage in both frames. After Kelli Hensley (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled through the right side to lead off the opening inning, Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked and Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded and no one out, Brittany Hefner (Talbot, Tenn.) knocked a single to left to plate Hensley for her 58th RBI of the season.
Bethany Davis (Nicholasville, Ky.) then sacrificed in Shoemake on a ground ball to the second baseman. Braleigh Angel sent a shot off the berm that hopped into centerfield to score the final run of the inning for the Eagles.
Wingate tied the game twice – in the fourth and fifth – however the Eagles were there to put another crooked number on the board whenever the inning turned over.
In the fifth, the Eagles loaded the bases again with no one out. Hefner turned on a 1-0 pitch and singled through the left side to put the Eagles up a run. However, Wingate pitcher Stacey Houser ended the inning and the threat with a strike out a fly out and a ground out.
After a Taylor Laskey RBI double to right center in the bottom half of the inning, the Eagles would take the lead for good in the sixth when Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) knocked a two-out, 3-1 pitch into left center to plate Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.) from second.
Wingate got the tying run aboard in the bottom of the seventh with two out, but on a Laskey grounder to short, Hefner turned and went to Morgan at second to get the lead runner and end the game.
Hensley provided pop at the plate at the top of the order, going three-for-four at the dish. She came around to score twice. Hefner added to her nation's best RBI total with her pair of bases loaded singles.
Kaitie Sims (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) collected her 11th win in the circle (11-1) after scattering eight hits. Two of the four runs she allowed were unearned. Sims threw 91 pitches, 52 of which were strikes.
Houser took the loss for Wingate (10-7).
Game two: C-N 4, Wingate 1
After lacing a long extra base hit in game one, Carson-Newman's big bats came to life in game two.
Sara Kelley (Ooltewah, Tenn.) sent a shot just to the right of the flag pole in center for a leadoff home run in the fourth. Cassie Elliot (Johnson City, Tenn.) replicated the feat in the fifth with another leadoff bomb – a no-doubter down the right field line – to put C-N up 3-0.
The Eagles would add another run in the sixth when Kelley came around to score on a Siebert single up the middle. The Eagles could have done more damage in the inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Elliot popped up to third and Hensley grounded out to short without bringing more runs across.
Burrell hit her ninth home run of the season in the sixth to break up the shutout, but Wingate would draw no closer than the final margin 4-1.
Cassie Lyons (Knoxville, Tenn.) got back on the winning track for the Eagles in the circle (8-8) after back-to-back losses. The sophomore went the complete game – her ninth of the year – scattering five hits on 100 pitches.
The Eagles stay on the road to face Augusta State Tuesday at 1 p.m.
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