VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Emma Frost Interview
HARROGATE, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (20-12, 10-2 South Atlantic Conference) logged its first win in Harrogate in six years, but couldn't hold on in the night cap to pull off a sweep of Lincoln Memorial (20-16, 7-5 SAC) Wednesday evening at Neely Field.
Carson-Newman won game one in commanding fashion 8-1 before losing a fourth-inning lead and falling to the Railsplitters in game two, 6-5.
The contests marked the return of Carson-Newman pitcher Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) to Harrogate. She started both games, splitting the pair. Frost had 13 strikeouts between the two contests and fired 217 pitches.
"Considering the emotions at play, she has a lot of friends who still play for LMU, but she's trying to win a game for her new team," head softball coach Michael Graves said. "I thought she did a tremendous job. She certainly battled for us."
Carson-Newman left 15 runners stranded between the two games. The Eagles were 5-of-19 with runners in scoring position. While C-N plated 13 runs between the two games, six were the result of home runs.
"Late in games, we've had issues scoring, we score early, but we leave runners on," Graves said. "It's frustrating to be in position to score late and be unable to find that timely hit and leave runners on."
Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) slugged her 27th career jack to move into a tie with Hall of Famer Whitney Hickam for sixth on the career list. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) also launched her 26th to take over eighth place.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 8, Lincoln Memorial 1
Carson-Newman struck first. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.), Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) and Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) all singled to start the game to load the bases. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.) and Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead. C-N stretched it to 3-0 on a Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) ground ball to third.
The Railsplitters came to the plate for an attempted force out, but the throw bounced away from catcher Katie Tuggle to allow Bailey to score. The Railsplitters were able to get out of the inning with a 6-5 line drive double play and limit the damage to three runs.
C-N did more damage in the second. Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) led off the inning with a sinking line drive to left. She scored from three bases away on a Hughes double. Dye then doubled down the left field line to plate Hughes and give C-N a 5-0 lead. Two walks loaded the bases before Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) drove in a run with an RBI fielder's choice to second for a 6-0 lead.
The Eagles stretched the lead to run-rule territory in the sixth. Dye looped a one-out double to left before Bailey pummeled a pitch over the fence in left center to stretch the lead to 8-0 with her 26th career home run and her 11th of the season.
LMU answered in the bottom of the sixth. Reese Vivrette led off the inning with a triple to left center and scored on a Reichter sacrifice fly to right to extend the game. However, the Railsplitters would only prolong the final result as C-N collected the 8-1 triumph.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) went the distance to improve to 9-1 in the circle. She worked around four hits and struck out eight without a walk in the win.
Margot van Eijl took the loss for LMU in a 1.0-inning start. She gave up five hits and five runs, four earned while walking two and fanning one.
GAME TWO: Lincoln Memorial 6, Carson-Newman 5
Carson-Newman lit the lamp first in the first. Hughes became the first Eagle to lead off a game with a home run. She belted a 2-1 pitch out of the park to left center.
The Railsplitters answered in the bottom of the first. Vivrette led off the inning with a double to left. After a fly out and a strike out, Katie Pozzuto launched a two-run shot to center to give the Railsplitters a 2-1 lead.
That edge would be short-lived. Lucero worked a one-out walk in the second to set the table for Warder. She clobbered a pitch over the fence in center to tilt the game in C-N's favor, 3-2.
The Railsplitters leveled it back up in the bottom of the second with the long ball. Nicole Couvertiere hit her first home run of the season off the scoreboard in right. The two-out solo shot made it 3-3.
Carson-Newman retook the lead in the top of the third on the third home run of the game. Dye lifted a pitch to right center, opposite field, that carried in the jet stream to give the Eagles a 4-3.
The Eagles added insurance in the fourth. Carson-Newman had two on with two out after a single, a walk and a stolen base. Brooks took advantage with quality situational hitting. She shot a single through the left side to plate a run and give C-N a 5-3 lead.
LMU would get it back and take a lead in the fifth with a two-out rally. Tuggle sparked it with a sacrifice fly before Madison Henry and Jordann Reagan laced back-to-bacl two out doubles to push LMU in front 6-5.
Carson-Newman had the tying run in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings, but the Eagles couldn't come up with a timely knock to extend the game.
Frost took the loss in the nightcap to fall to 9-2. She pitched the first 4.2 innings of the game, surrendering seven hits and six runs, all earned. She struck out five and walked three. Between the two games, she tossed 217 pitches.
Van Eijl got the win in relief. She fired the final 3.0 frames in four-hit, shutout fashion.
Carson-Newman returns home Friday to take on No. 12 Wingate. First pitch between the Eagles and Bulldogs is set for noon. Coverage is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available through FloSports at cneagles.com/FloSB.
