VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Hayden Dye Interview
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Carson-Newman (1-1) poured on the offense in game one before Eckerd (1-1) rallied in the night cap to split a season-opening doubleheader between the two teams at the Turley Complex.
Carson-Newman won game one 10-2 in seven innings before Eckered rallied from a three-run deficit to prevail in walk-off fashion 4-3 in the nightcap.
C-N improved to 34-3 all-time in season-opening games with the game-one win.
"I thought we stuck to our game plan in game one," head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We're trying to work on our strike zone this year and find a way to get on base. I thought we did a good job with doing that. We had double-digit hits and had more walks than we did strikeouts."
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 10, Eckerd 2
Carson-Newman struck quickly with the long ball in game one. After a line out and aground out to start the inning, Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) singled through the left side on a one-strike pitch. That set the table for Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) to smoke an 0-1 pitch opposite field to right to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
C-N followed with three runs in the second and third innings.
Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) laced a one-out double squeezed down the left field line to put the Eagles in business. She moved to third on an Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) single through the left side and scored when the Tritons catcher misfired a throw trying to catch Martin stealing second.
Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) and Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) padded the edge with RBI singles.
Eckerd got a run back in the bottom of the second with a two-out RBI single to center from Megan Diaz.
C-N responded with three more in the third. Wynter Morris (Crozet, Va.) sparked the scoring with an RBI single through the right side. Vandergriff and Martin finished it with an RBI single to short and a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles an 8-1 lead.
Eckerd countered with another single run in the bottom of the third with a one-out single to right from Hannah Taylor.
Carson-Newman rounded out the scoring with single runs in the fifth and seventh on sacrifice flies from Martin and Vandergriff to set the final margin at 10-2.
NicKolette Ferguson (Erwin, Tenn.) got the win in relief for C-N after starter Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) didn't hit the pitching minimum for a win.
Ferguson fired the final 4.2 innings in four-hit, shutout fashion. Frost allowed five hits and two runs in a 2.1-inning start. She struck out three.
Avery Beauchaine took the loss for Eckerd. She worked a 1.1-inning start, giving up six hits and five runs with one walk and no Ks.
Vandergriff and Morris both had multi-hit efforts for C-N. Vandergriff, Dye and Martin both drove in a pair of runs.
GAME TWO: Eckerd 4, Carson-Newman 3
Carson-Newman again struck first to open the contest with runs in the third. After a leadoff groundout, Martin reached on an error at short. The Eagles loaded the bases with a Hughes single to left and a Warder rope to center. Bailey drilled a ball to the left center field gap that tipped off the top of the wall and back into play, narrowly missing a grand slam. The consolation prize was a two-run double.
C-N played add on with a Dye RBI groundout to grab an opening 3-0 lead.
The Tritons threatened massively in the bottom of the third. Eckerd loaded the bases without an out with a walk, single and hit batter. A bases loaded walk to Jaydn Wright brought in a run before starting pitcher Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) worked out of the jam with a fielder's choice out at the plate and two punchouts. That preserved a 3-1 Eagle lead.
The Triton got within a run in the bottom of the sixth. Hannah Taylor led off the inning with a double before taking third on a wild pitch. She scored on an Addisan Langston roller to short.
Eckerd completed its comeback in the bottom of the seventh in walk off fashion. A walk and a single set the table for Wright, who moved the two baserunners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
Ella Coiner delivered the tying run with a single through the left side, but the winning run also came around on the play when Carson-Newman's throw in from left bounced and kicked away from the Eagles' catcher Warder.
Rogers took the loss to start the season 0-1. She gave up six hits and four runs, three earned while walking four and fanning seven.
Brandilyn Reymer got the win to start her campaign 1-0. Reymer worked around eight hits and two walks to give up three runs, two of which were earned. She punched out five. Reymer stranded nine Carson-Newman base runners.
C-N returns to the field Saturday at 2 p.m. against Florida Southern. Coverage of the twinbill is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
