GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (13-3, 4-0 South Atlantic Conference) tallied its first doubleheader sweep at Red Edmonds Field in seven years taking two from Tusculum (14-6, 1-3 SAC) Saturday afternoon.
Carson-Newman rallied in game one with a nine-run top of the seventh to complete a come-from-behind 11-7 seven win before stiff-arming the Pioneers to a 7-2 win in game two.
The Eagles extended their win streak to eight consecutive, while their four-game streak of scoring 10 or more runs came to an end in the nightcap. Carson-Newman combined for 25 hits for a second consecutive doubleheader, marking six straight game with double-digit hits. The Eagles have 10 or more knocks in seven of their last eight games.
Abby Fiessinger (Benton, Ky.) went 4-for-8 at the plate with a double, a triple and five runs batted in. KaraLynne Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) continued her scorching senior season with a home run and a 5-for-8 day at the dish. She also got hit by a pitch for the 53rd time in her career.
Makayla McCarthy (El Cajon, Calif.) notched a win in relief in game one before going the distance for another W in game two in the circle. She struck out 14 in 10.1 innings of work. The Pioneers hit just .158 off her.
"Makayla was big for us today she came into a rough situation in game one and shut them down. That gave us a chance to settle down and get the bats going," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We left too many runners on base early by uncharacteristically hitting ground balls in the infield. A lot of people played a part in that game one win.
"Mak was really moving the ball so we decided to go with her in game two. We had some better at bats where we were able to drive the ball in game two. Abby Fiessinger had some big swings and hit the ball really hard today."
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 11, Tusculum 7
Tusculum jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Anna Alloway and Alexis Grampp led off the contest with a single and a double to give the Pioneers a pair of runners on second and third. Grayson Brown delivered a one-out single to left to plate the pair and stake TU to an early 2-0 lead.
C-N countered to level things up in the top of the third. Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked to lead off the inning. After a pair of ground-ball outs, Haley Caldwell (Kenova, W.Va.) doubled to plate the speedy junior from three bases away.
The Eagles leveled the score with an unearned run a batter later when Caldwell sprinted home on a dropped fly ball in right.
The tie game wouldn't last long. Tusculum retook the lead with the long ball in the bottom of the fourth. Bree Whitson smacked a two-run bomb before Anna Alloway sent a solo shot to Bulls Gap to give the Pioneers a 5-2 edge.
However, C-N would put together a top of the seventh for the ages in order to lay claim to their first win of the Graves-era when trailing after six innings.
Caldwell and Levi singled with one out to give C-N a pair of base runners. Keeley Quillen (Gate City, Va.) delivered the first run with a base hit back up the middle to cut the Eagle deficit to 5-3.
McCarthy singled to third to load the bases for Madelyn Gillett (Howell, Mich.) who drove in a run at the expense of an out on a fielder's choice.
With the second out on the board, C-N was down 5-4. However, Taylor Scott (Huntington, W.Va.) slashed a single back up the middle to level things up.
Then the wheels fell off for the Pioneers. C-N would score six more times in the frame with two outs. The rest of the runs in the inning would be unearned.
Sohm reached on a fielding error by the pitcher that let the go-ahead run cross. After Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) reached on a fielder's choice to short to load the bases, Fiessinger cleared them with a triple to right.
Caldwell drove in one more with an infield single to third, while Levi reached on an error in center that let Caldwell score to give C-N an 11-5 edge.
Tusculum tried to put together its own rally in the bottom of the seventh. Brown knocked a two-run, two-out homer to left center before a groundout ended things in C-N's favor.
McCarthy got the win in relief to improve to 3-2. She fired 3.1 innings of two-hit, two-run ball, striking out four. Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was chased after a 3.2-inning start in which she gave up eight hits and five runs.
Delilah Malczewski took the loss in relief for TU, surrendering eight hits and nine runs, only three of which were earned.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 7, Tusculum 2
The Eagles would need no late-game dramatics in the nightcap. The Eagles scored early and rode McCarthy's arm to the 7-2 triumph.
A walk and a single set the table for C-N in the top of the second for Fiessinger. The senior ripped her second extra-base hit of the twin bill, a double to right center, to plate Sohm and Smith to push the Eagles in front 2-0.
Carson-Newman kept rolling in the top of the third. Levi smoked her second home run of the season and 14th of her career down the left field line to lead off the inning. McCarthy followed with a one-out blast to left center for the first home run of her Carson-Newman career. The two dingers gave C-N a 4-0 edge.
The Eagles' added to it with a three-run sixth.
Scott led off the frame with the first bomb of her senior season before the Eagles pounced on a Pioneer mistake. With runners on first and third, Fiessinger hit a ground ball to the circle, but the throw home to try to get Sohm went wide and the junior scored on the throwing error.
Levi rounded out the scoring in the inning with an RBI double down the left field line.
Anna Alloway set the final margin with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
McCarthy struck out 10, the first double-digit K performance by an Eagle this season, in her complete-game win. She walked four in moving to 4-2 on the year.
Ivee Richesin dropped to 7-2 for the Pioneers in a two-inning start. She gave up five hits and three runs. Cloee-Anna Merritt worked the final five innings, allowing six hits and four runs, three of which were earned.
Carson-Newman returns to action Tuesday at King.
