CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Lee (7-4) scored three runs in the first innings of both games of a doubleheader and never trailed en route to a sweep of Carson-Newman (5-3) Wednesday at Butler Field.
"If we learn from some things that we need to fix that put us in bad situations, then I don't think it will cost us as much as these situations would two months from now," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "Hopefully it was a rare off day at the plate. We stayed behind in the count and took a bunch of called strikes. We were not as aggressive in the box as last weekend. We have a good bunch, we will fix it."
KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) led the Eagles offensively with a pair of multi-hit days. She drove in a run as well.
GAME ONE: Lee 4, Carson-Newman 1
Lee scampered out to a big lead by stringing together consecutive hits. After back-to-back knocks from Kayla Louie to right and Lily Hatcher to left to start the game, the pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Taylor De Adder singled up the middle to score the pair and stake Lee to a 2-0 lead. Frazier kept things rolling with a double to right center to extend the advantage to 3-0 with one out.
The Flames added to their lead in the second. A pair of bunt singles got the Flames started and a pair of stolen bases moved the two players into scoring position. With one out, De Adder drove in her second run with sacrifice fly to right. The Eagles were able to get Hatcher trying to move to third to end the inning, albeit with Lee leading 4-0.
The Eagles tried to rally in the seventh before faltering.
Marry Vandergriff (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led off the inning with a pinch-hit double to center. She moved to third on a ground out and scored on an RBI single through the left side from Taylor Scott (Huntington, W.Va.).
After a strike out, the Eagles loaded the bases with a Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) walk and a KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn,) single to left field. However, the Eagles struck out to end the game with the bases loaded and the go-ahead run at the plate.
Lacie Rinus took the loss to fall to 3-1 on the season. She worked the first three innings, giving up six hits and four runs, all earned. Rinus walked one and struck out one.
Morgen Baker-Celis (Kentfield, Calif.) fired 3.0 innings of two-hit shutout ball in relief.
Lulu Vasquez collected the complete-game win for Lee. She fanned 11 Eagles, allowing six hits and the lone earned run.
GAME TWO: Lee 7, Carson-Newman 3
Lee pounced on C-N miscues to build a three-run lead after one for a second straight game.
The Flames started the game with back-to-back walks. A steal attempt by Hatcher, a throwing error behind the plate allowed Louie to scamper home and give Lee a 1-0 edge. After a third straight walk gave Lee runners on the corners, Abby McKinney grouned out to second to plate Hatcher. A Bailey Church single up the middle scored De Adder from third and gave Lee a 3-0 lead after one.
Carson-Newman countered with one in the third. Smith led off the inning with a double down the left field line. She took third on a Vandergriff single to center and scored when Abby Fiessinger (Benton, Ky.) grounded into a fielder's choice.
The Eagles got another run back in the fifth. Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) started the inning with a walk. After a fielder's choice and a ground out, Smith stood on second base. Fiessinger drover her home with a single ripped down the left field line. That cut C-N's deficit to 3-2.
However, the Flames powered out a four-run fifth to put the game on ice.
Lee started the inning with a strikeout, but a walk and a single to short set the table for De Adder to drive in her first run of game two with a double to center. After a pop up and another walk, the bases were loaded for Church. She cleared the bases with a timely two-out double to right to push the Flames lead to 7-2.
A KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) RBI double to left center in the top of the sixth would be the last gasp of Carson-Newman's offense and set the final margin at 7-3.
Makayla McCarthy took the loss to fall to 0-2. She didn't record an out in her start in which she walked all three batters she faced. Baker-Celis gave up four hits and four runs in relief.
Shonna Penney took the complete game win for the Flames to improve to 3-0. She allowed seven hits and three runs, only two of which were earned. Penney struck out five and walked two.
Carson-Newman opens up the doors to The Vick Saturday at 1 p.m. against Limestone. Coverage will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
