ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman freshman utility player Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) has been named the Varsity Gems South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week and the Tennessee Sportswriters' Association State Player of the Week, both organizations announced Tuesday morning.
She is Carson-Newman's first player of the week for the SAC since Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) was lauded on Feb. 28, 2022. She becomes the first Eagle to win both accolades in the same week in nearly two years to the day. Shannon Smith swept both honors on March 16, 2021.
Bailey is riding a career-best eight-game hitting streak for the month of March. For the week, she was 9-for-18 at the plate to hit .500 with a double and a triple and 10 runs driven in. The freshman has tallied multi-hit efforts in three of her last four games and multi-RBI efforts in two of her last four.
Bailey, who leads the nation in RBI and sacrifice flies with 38 and five, respectively, drove in a run in all but one of the Eagles' six games on the week. Her top efforts came against North Greenville when she brought in four runs in game one of a 15-3, run-rule game and three runs in the nightcap – a 12-4 run-rule win.
Well this is one massive two-out rally. @MacauleyBailey clears the bases with a triple. Eagles have plated seven runs this inning with two away.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) March 9, 2023
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The Cross Plains, Tenn.-native hit her first career triple with the bases loaded in game one against the Crusaders.
She tallied a pair of two-hit games, the 10th and 11th of her young career, against Catawba on Saturday. It was her nation-leading fifth sacrifice fly that brought across the game-winning run and capped a rally from a six-run deficit to get Carson-Newman a 10-9 win over the Indians in the nightcap. The come-from-behind effort is the biggest comeback in Carson-Newman softball history.
For the week, she tallied a .455 OBP and slugged .667. She played three different positions, suiting up a first, behind the plate and as the designated player. When in the field, she was error free through the six games.
Bailey and the rest of softball team are in action at UVA Wise on Thursday at 1 p.m.
