VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Emory & Henry (19-16, 14-8 South Atlantic Conference) used two potent pitching performances from Avery Adkins to take two games from Carson-Newman (27-11, 12-8 SAC) on the Eagles' senior day Saturday at The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Adkins twirled 14 innings and struck out 16 to guide E&H to a 3-2 win in game one and a 9-2 triumph in the nightcap. Additionally, she was 3-for-8 at the plate with two RBI with a home run.
"She was one the best pitchers we have seen this season," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "She's really one of two pitchers to completely shut us down offensively. She was effective at mixing in pitches. We put ourselves in bind. We let her get into the rhythm."
Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) celebrated her senior day with a pair of multi-hit days. She was 5-for-6 in the doubleheader. Madison Levi (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had a pinch-hit single in her final regular season at-bat at The Vick.
GAME ONE: Emory & Henry 3, Carson-Newman 2
Carson-Newman got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) scorched a line drive down the right field line. The righfielder played it aggressively, but couldn't get to the sinking liner quick enough. It bounced passed her and rolled all the way to the corner. Martin raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run and a 1-0 lead for the Eagles.
Emory & Henry responded in the top of the fourth. Lydia Taylor walked to lead off the inning then Morgan Silvis poked a single to right. An Emily Scaggs single hugged the chalk down the left field line to plate Taylor and move the flex playey Julia Street to third. Street then gave the Wasps a 2-1 lead on a wild pitch.
The Eagles answered the bell in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. Infield singles to short from Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) and Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) sandwiched Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) reaching on an error. With the bases loaded and one out, Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) squibbed a ground ball to second. The Wasps tried to turn two, but couldn't get Vandergriff at first. Warder scored on the RBI fielder's choice to tie the game 2-2.
The Wasps retook the lead in the top of the sixth. E&H loaded the bases with one out with a Silvis single, a hit batter on Ashlyn Rachon and a walk to Rachel Hill. A tipped ball back to the circle from a pinch-hitting Katie Williams scored the go ahead run to give the Wasps a 3-2 edge.
Carson-Newman's best chance to tie came in the bottom of the sixth after getting the first two batters of the inning to reach on back-to-back singles. But the Eagles never could move the pair over.
Avery Adkins went the distance to improve to 16-11. She became the first opposing pitcher to strike out 10 Eagles this season. She fanned 10 and didn't walk anyone. Of Carson-Newman's seven hits, only one left the infield.
Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) took the loss to fall to 7-3. She gave up eight hits and three runs, all earned. Rogers struck out eight, but walked six and hit one.
GAME TWO: Emory & Henry 9, Carson-Newman 2
Emory & Henry wasted zero time in scoring in game two. With two out, Adkins stroked the first pitch she saw to the left center alleyway. A solo shot was her fifth home run of the year and gave E&H a 1-0 lead after the opening half inning.
Adkins played add on in the third. Mackenzie Williams led off the inning with a single to second. She took second on a ground out and stole third. Adkins drove her in with a line drive into left center for a 2-0 lead. The Wasps played add on as Adkins scored from first on a two-out, two-base hit to right center from Silvis to give E&H a 3-0 lead after 2.5 innings.
The Wasps created major separation in the fifth. E&H scored twice on a Silvis single, while Rachel Hill and Alysa Rachon added two-out RBI with a single to left and double to left center, respectively. When the dust settled, the Wasps led 7-0.
Warder clobbered her fifth home run of the season to pull the Eagles back within five in the sixth, but E&H stretched the final margin back to nine, 9-2, with a Katie Williams two-out, two-run double to left in the seventh.
Adkins improved to 17-11 with the win. She fanned six in the complete-game effort and only gave up two runs while scattering 10 hits. The Eagles were 0-for-6 against her with runners in scoring position.
Rylee Gattis took the loss to fall to 9-5 for C-N. She pitched four innings in her start, giving up eight hits and six runs, all earned. She walked two and struck out two.
Carson-Newman hits the road Thursday to Anderson for a 12:30 p.m. first pitch. Coverage will be available at cneagles.com/live on the Eagle Sports Network.
