TIGERVILLE, S.C. – No. 21 Carson-Newman (19-5) pounded out 21 hits and plated 27 runs in run-ruling North Greenville (10-12) twice, Thursday afternoon at Jan McDonald Field.
Carson-Newman used big innings in both games, scoring nine in the fourth of game one en route to a 15-3, five inning win; and seven in the fifth of game two – a 12-4 triumph.
"We wanted to come out and prove to ourselves that we could come out strong and show that Tuesday isn't who we are," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "I think we did that. We gave up some hits, but for the most part they were seeing-eye singles and bloops. Our pitchers kept them off balance. All facets of our offense worked. We swung at good pitches, we played small ball well when we had to, and we ran well. This can't be a one game deal. We have to carry this momentum into Saturday."
Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) drove in seven RBI through the doubleheader, while Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) and Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) produced five and four RBI, respectively.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 15, North Greenville 3 (five innings)
Carson-Newman struck early and often to open the game. SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) walked to start the game and moved up two bases on a Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) sacrifice bunt. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) drove her in for her 30th RBI of the season with a base hit smashed up the left field line and a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles kept at it in the second. Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled to lead off the inning before Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) took over for her at first following a fielder's choice to short. Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) dropped down a bunt single to third to give C-N a pair of base runners before Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) walked to put an Eagle on every bag.
Cameron delivered with a double slashed through the left side to plate two runs and give C-N a 3-0 cushion. Hughes wrapped the scoring in the frame with a sacrifice fly lined out to right to put the Eagles ahead 4-0.
North Greenville countered in the bottom of the second to halve the lead. The Crusaders loaded the bases without an out thanks to two single singles up the middle and a bunt single to short. After a strikeout, Lexis Wilkinson drove in the first run with a fielder's choice to second before Jenna Davis roped a single to centerfield to cut the deficit to 4-2.
C-N stretched it back to a four-run game in the top of the third. Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) and Dye slashed back-to-back singles through the left side. Holt then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position with the second out. Vandergriff took advantage, slashing a single through the right side to score both and move the advantage to 6-2.
NGU answered with a run in the bottom of the third. The Crusaders got the first two base runners aboard with a single through the left side and a bunt single. After a foul out and a sacrifice bunt, Virginia Bishop shot a ground ball into the hole at short to plate one and pull the Crusaders within three, 6-3. Riley Sikes (Powell, Tenn.) got a strikeout to leave runners on the corners.
C-N then stretched the lead out to 12 in the fourth. Cameron led off the inning with a single before stealing second. Hughes wore a pitch to give the Eagles a pair of base runners. The pair executed a double steal, as Cameron took third, the catcher's throw rolled into left allowing her to score. Then, Brooke Matyasovksy (Orange, Conn.) flipped a single into center to plate Hughes and stretch the edge to 8-3. After a ground out, the Eagles got three straight walks to load the bases and then score the third run of the frame on Vandergriff's base on balls. Robbins blooped a ball into left to plate two and stretch the lead into run-rule territory, 11-3, with a two-out, two run single.
Carson-Newman was far from done. A bases-loaded walk to Hughes and a bases-clearing, three-RBI triple down the right field line for Bailey pushed the Eagles ahead by 12, 15-3. Seven of Carson-Newman's runs in the inning game with two outs on the board.
Sikes picked up the win to improve to 5-1. She scattered 10 hits in four innings. However, the Crusaders were a paltry 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position against her. Conversely, C-N was 7-for-10 with runners on second or third.
Maddie Gore took the loss for NGU, her first of the season. She was one of six pitchers used by the Crusaders. NGU pitching walked six.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 12, North Greenville 4 (five innings)
Much like game one, Carson-Newman struck first. Cameron led off the game with a double before moving to third on a Hughes base hit. Cameron scored on an RBI groundout to short from Bailey that gave C-N a 1-0 lead after the opening half inning.
North Greenville responded in the bottom of the second. Ansley Fowler started the inning with a bunt single. After a strikeout, she stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Aly Hartin scored her on the eighth pitch of her at-bat off a 2-2 pitch sent back up the box to tie the game at one.
The Crusaders took the lead in the bottom of the third. The Crusaders loaded the bases off a single, a throwing error at short and a fielder's choice. Karley Green delivered the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to right. However, Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) was able to limit the damage to just a run, getting an out at the plate on a ground ball to short and a strikeout.
The Eagles jumped back in front with a four-run fifth. Matyasovsky led off the inning with a single, before moving into scoring position on a Warder bunt single. After a strikeout, Holt drove in the tying run with a double down the right field line. Vandergriff put C-N back in front when she reached on a bobbled ball at second that allowed Warder to score.
Cameron doubled in an insurance run with a two-out, two base hit to left before Robbins rounded out the scoring in the inning, striding home on a wild pitch to give C-N a 5-2 lead.
The Crusaders counted in the bottom of the fourth. NGU loaded the bases with two out off a single and walk before Green poked a two-run single through the left side to pull the Crusders within one, 5-4.
C-N pushed the lead back out in the top of the fifth. The Eagles loaded the bases without an out off a walk, a Warder bunt single and another walk. Holt took advantage, slashing her third career triple to right center to clear the bases and push the lead to a game-high four, 8-4. A wild pitch then scored Holt to push the lead to 9-4. C-N stretched it to run-rule territory thanks to a two-run single from Bailey before Cameron concluded the scoring on a wild pitch.
Rogers got the win to improve to 5-1. She scattered seven hits in a four-inning start, giving up four runs off two walks against four strikeouts.
Sydney Clark took the loss for the Crusaders to fall to 3-4. She gave up eight hits and 10 runs, eight of which were earned. She issued six walks.
Carson-Newman returns home Saturday to face Catawba at 1 p.m. Coverage is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available on a subscription basis through FloSports.
