GAFFNEY, S.C. – It took a rally from a five-run deficit, but Carson-Newman (14-10, 4-0 South Atlantic Conference), is still without a blemish in league play.
The Eagles took two from Limestone (15-9, 0-4 SAC) Wednesday afternoon at Jimmy Martin Field. C-N prevailed 6-2 in a fairly pedestrian game one. Then game two lost its mind. C-N found a way to win 8-7 after being no-hit through 5.1 innings. The Eagles trailed 5-0 entering the sixth and 7-5 entering the seventh to find their way back for the game two triumph.
"We played a great disciplined full game on both sides in game one," head softball coach Michael Graves said. "Game two started out totally opposite. We were about as bad as we can get offensively for the first five innings. We also didn't start off good on the flip side.
"Emma came back in and shut them down for a few innings before Kayleigh gave us a gutsy few innings. Those two gave our offense a lot of time we evidently needed to get rolling. I dont want to get in a habit of taking time to get going but I have to give them credit. This is the team and effort we have been waiting on. There were so many people that played a big part of this win – between Macauley, Macey, Alaina, Kennady – so many people showed a ton of heart and had huge moments for us. There's really too many people who did things to name them all."
Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) stroked her 23rd career home run to take sole possession of eighth-place on the career list. She drove in five in the twin bill to take her career total to 149, five away from the top five all-time at C-N.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 6, Limestone 2
Carson-Newman used quality situational hitting to score the game's opening run in the second. Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) walked to lead off the inning before taking second on a wild pitch. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt before Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) scored her with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Eagles added to their advantage in the fourth. Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) led off the inning with the first hit of the day for C-N, a single to right center. After a pair of fly outs, Carson-Newman loaded the bases with two out thanks to a walk and a hit batter. Carson-Newman would score twice with the bases loaded without registering a hit. Alaina Smith (Lebanon, Tenn.) got plunked and Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) worked a base on balls to give C-N a 3-0 lead.
Limestone got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Santana Anderson hit a one-out solo shot to left center to make the margin 3-1.
Carson-Newman answered three times in the top of the sixth. Lucero singled to left center to lead off the inning before a pinch-running Bailee Worley (Black Mountain, N.C.) took second on a wild pitch. Vandergriff laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt to third, but ended up legging out a single to give C-N runners on the corners. Vandergriff then swiped second. With one out, Martin bounced a ball back up the box to plate one before a wild pitch scored a second. A Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) double to left center gave C-N a 6-1 lead.
Katie Wilbur responded with a two-out solo shot to left in the bottom of the sixth to bring the deficit down to four runs, 6-2.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) got the win for C-N in complete-game fashion. She gave up five hits and two runs, both of which were earned, while striking out nine and walking no one. She is now 5-1.
Breanna Clayton took the loss for Limestone in a 3.2-inning start. She only gave up one hit, but walked four and hit three. She fell to 6-4 with the loss.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 8, Limestone 7
Limestone struck first in the fifth. With two out, Anderson sliced a single through the left side before Abigail Price reached on a base hit. Linsey Voorhese took advantage, scoring the pair with a double to center to give Limestone a 2-0 lead.
The Saints played add on in the second. Three straight singles with one out loaded the bases for Katie Wilbur. She cleared them with a line drive double to right center for a 5-0 Saint lead.
Carson-Newman's offense was hitless until the sixth when it exploded. Vandergriff led off the inning, reaching on a fielding error at second. After a fly out, Martin walked to set the table for Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.). She turned on an inside 3-2 pitch for her first home run of the season and the 23rd of her career to pull C-N within two. Dye followed with a single, taking third on an error on the play. She scored three pitches later on a wild pitch. Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.) brought C-N all the way back with a solo shot to left center to make it 5-5.
Limestone pushed back in front in the bottom of the sixth with three straight two out hits. Knocks from Price and Voorhese gave the Saints a 7-5 lead.
Carson-Newman responded in the bottom of the seventh. Vandergriff walked to lead off the inning before Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) doubled to right to give the Eagles two in scoring position. Hughes drove in Vandergriff with a sacrifice fly to center before Brooks tied the game with a wild pitch.
After a walk to Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.), Smith pinch-run for her and stole second. Dye delivered the go-ahead run with a double to the gap in left center and an 8-7 lead for C-N.
That would be enough for C-N to hang on. The Eagles did turn a 5-4-2 double play on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh to help secure the win.
Kayleigh Bowers (Stephensville, Texas) got the win in relief to improve to 4-3. She pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and two runs. She walked three and fanned two.
C-N handed Limestone starter Chelsea Stonesifer her third loss of the year, knocking her to 7-3. She pitched 6.1 innings, allowing four hits and six runs, three of which were earned. She walked four and struck out three. Three of the four hits she allowed were for extra bases.
Carson-Newman returns home Saturday to take on Mars Hill at 1 p.m. Coverage is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live. A video stream can be found at cneagles.com/FloSB with a subscription to FloSports.
