VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Game One Highlights
VIDEO: Game Two Highlights
VIDEO: Hayden Dye Interview
VIDEO: Macey Hughes Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (18-10, 8-0 South Atlantic Conference) fell behind 3-0 twice, but also rallied twice on UVA Wise (11-19, 1-9 SAC) to take two league wins from the Cavaliers Tuesday afternoon.
Carson-Newman held on for a 5-4 win in game one before breaking out the big bats for a 12-4, five-inning run-rule win in the nightcap.
"We're starting to show flashes of being able to rally and win ballgames," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "The approach at the plate was good today. As a whole, we put a good bat on the ball. Defense is also rounding into form. It's nice to be playing error free after our early struggles with that."
Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) walloped her 26th career home run to move into a tie with Lisa Rogers for seventh on the career charts. Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.) maintained her lead for the most home runs in the conference with her 11th.
Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) joined the pink-hat party, with a go-ahead, three-run, inside-the-park home run – the first of her career.
Carson-Newman has now won nine straight and 16 of its last 18. The Eagles have won five consecutive over UVA Wise for the first time in series history.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 5, UVA Wise 4
UVA Wise jumped on C-N to start the game. The first three Cavs reached with two singles sandwiched around a fielder's choice. Sarah Barrett took advantage, lining a double to the left center field gap to score all three runners and give the Cavs a 3-0 lead after the opening half inning.
Carson-Newman countered in the bottom of the second. Brooke Matyasovsky belted a 2-1 pitch onto the roof of the indoor hitting facility beyond the fence in left field. Her league-leading 11th home run made it a 3-1 ballgame.
The Eagles raced in front in the bottom of the third. C-N loaded the bases with one out thanks to a Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky,) single, a walk to Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) and a fielder's choice for Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.). Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) took advantage with a scorching double to the left center gap to clear the bases and give C-N a 4-3. Matyasovsky gave C-N insurance and a four spot driving in Dye with a sacrifice fly to center. That made it 5-3 Eagles.
UVA Wise made things interesting in the seventh. Adyson Gibson led off the inning with a bloop single to short. After a line out, Kara Long singled to right to give the Cavs runners on the corners. Barrett drove in a run with a base hit back up the middle to get within a run. However, a fly out and a pop up stranded the tying run at third for the Cavs.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) went the distance to improve to 7-1. She danced around nine hits with four strikeouts.
Jillian Jones took the loss to fall to 2-7. She pitched 3.2 innings in a start, giving up four hits and all five runs.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 12, UVA Wise 4 (five innings)
Much like game number one, the Cavs pounced early. Gibson led off the game with a single to third. She scored from three bases away on a Brie Frazier double to left center. Kara Long then bounced a ball into the left field corner on the line and rolled all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run that plated two. The inside-the-park home run gave the Cavs a 3-0 lead after the opening half inning.
The Eagles answered with two in the bottom of the first. Martin led off the inning with a double before Brooks walked. After a fielder's choice, Dye ripped an RBI single through the right side for the Eagles' first run. Matyasovsky then bounced a ground ball into the hole at short with runners on second and first. The Cavs tried to turn two, but the throw to first was wide of the bag, allowing Hughes to score from second to make it a 3-2 game after one.
The Eagles raced in front in the bottom of the second. Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisey, Tenn.) and Warder both walked. With two out, Brooks smoked a 2-1 pitch down the left field line past the diving Barrett. The ball rattled in the corner and allowed Brooks to sprint around for a three-RBI inside-the-park home run and a 5-3 lead.
The Cavs cut into the lead in the top of the fourth. Mataya Ausmus tanked a 3-2 pitch on the 10th pitcher of her at bat down the left field line and onto the roof of the Eagles' indoor hitting facility to cut the deficit to 5-4 off her two-out solo blast.
C-N re-extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Riley Sharp (Moore, Okla.) walked to lead off the inning before Warder hit an infield single to short. After a sacrifice bunt and a foul out, Hughes pounced on a 2-2 pitch. She drilled the 26th home run of her career to stretch the lead to 8-4 with the three-run blast.
Carson-Newman walked it off via the run rule in the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back singles, followed by a Sharp walk loaded the bases for the Eagles with one out. Warder drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly before Martin plated two with a base hit to left center.
Martin swiped second and third before racing home on a Brooks single to center to set the final margin at 12-4.
Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) got her first win of the season in a 4.0-inning start to improve to 1-3. She struck out six and walked two.
Bayleigh Allison took the loss for Wise, falling to 5-6. She pitched 1.1 innings. She gave up two hits and four runs, three earned. She issued three walks.
Carson-Newman hits the road Saturday to take on Newberry from the Smith Road Complex at 1 p.m. A video stream of the contests is available through FloSports at cneagles.com/FloSB.
