VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Highlights Game One
VIDEO: Highlights Game Two
VIDEO: Macauley Bailey Interview
VIDEO: Emma Frost Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (26-16, 14-6 South Atlantic Conference) scored all 20 of its runs from the fourth inning on, pouncing on Emory & Henry (17-18, 8-12 SAC) late to sweep the Wasps Saturday at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Carson-Newman won game one, 10-2, in six innings in walk-off, run-rule fashion. The Eagles rallied from a 5-0 deficit to collect a 10-6 win in the night cap.
"I loved the way they stayed in there and rallied to get the win," head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We won't be at the liberty the rest of the season to spot someone five runs. We have to get out to a better start."
The Eagles impacted the record books in the wins. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) ended game one with a walk-off, three run home run. It registered as her 29th career home run, tied with Abby Fiessinger for the fourth-most in a C-N career. The moonshot moved her past Brittany Hefner for the most by an Eagle in a two-year period. The homer was also the 50th of the season for C-N, resetting the program's record for most home runs in a season. The 2024 team previously shared the mark with the 2013 squad.
Additionally, Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) tallied her 161st career RBI to move into a tie with former All-American catcher Bri Shoemake for fourth on the career list.
RBI single for @MaceyHughes5 gets the Eagles on the board��
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 13, 2024
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"I love me some Macey Hughes," Graves said. "Macey is a special kid. I will hate it when she graduates for us because of what she brings to us on the field and off the field. However, the world will be better for it when she goes off into the real world."
Hughes was 5-for-7 at the plate for the twinbill. She had a double and drove in two. Matyasovsky was also 5-for-7 at the plate. She launched a home run and drove in three. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) and Bailey each had four RBI for the doubleheader.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) won both games in the circle and struck out 15 in the doubleheader.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 10, Emory & Henry 2 (six innings)
It took until the fourth inning, but Emory & Henry struck first. Morgan Silvis grabbed ahold of an 0-1 pitch and drove it over the wall in center for her eighth home run of the year. The one-out solo shot gave the Wasps a 1-0 lead.
Carson-Newman responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth. The Eagles loaded the bases without an out thanks to a leadoff walk to Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) and singles through the left side from Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) and Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.).
Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) leveled the score with a sacrifice fly to right. The Eagles took the lead when Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) bounced a ball into the hole at short. Rachel Hill booted it, allowing Warder to reach and Bailey to score on what would have been an RBI groundout. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) wrapped up the scoring, sending an RBI double over the head of the centerfielder to score an unearned run and make it 3-1.
The Eagles continued to pour it on in the fifth. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) led off the fifth with a double to right and moved to third on a Dye single through the left side. A wild pitch gave the Eagles two runners in scoring position. Bailey took advantage with a sacrifice fly to right. A throwing error by the rightfielder allowed both runners to score on the play.
C-N loaded the bases with singles from Matyasovsky and Lucero, plus a walk to Warder. Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) walked on five pitches to drive in the third run of the inning. Martin once more rounded out the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Wasps answered with a run in the sixth. Mackenzie Williams and Lydia Taylor hit singles to first and center, respectively. With runners on the corners Silvis lined in a run with a sacrifice down the right field line.
BALL. GAME. @MacauleyBailey blasts her 29th career HOME RUN to run-rule the Wasps��
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 13, 2024
The long ball is the 50th by the Eagles this season, now the most in school history��
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Carson-Newman walked it off via the run rule in the bottom of the sixth. Hughes and Dye walked to lead off the inning to set the table for Bailey. She smashed her 14th home run of the season and 29th of her career opposite field to right off a 2-0 pitch
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) got the win in the circle to improve to 12-3. She started and pitched five innings, allowing three hits and a run. She struck out seven and didn't walk a batter.
Kylie Cundiff took the loss for the Wasps. She pitched 4.1 innings in her start, allowing nine hits and six runs, five earned. She walked one and struck out two.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 10, Emory & Henry 6
Much like game one, E&H struck first thanks to Silvis. Williams led off the game with an infield single, took second on a sacrifice and third on a wild pitch. Silvis scored her off a two-strike, two-out bloop single down the right field line to give the Wasps a 1-0 lead after the opening half inning.
E&H found paydirt in a major way in the second inning. The Wasps plated four runs off five hits to chase the starter Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) from the circle. Williams started the scoring with an RBI infield single to short. Abigail Street closed the rally with a double to right center for a run. Two of the four runs in the inning scored with two outs on the board.
C-N responded in the bottom of the third. Martin and Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) started the inning with singles through the left side. With runners on the corners, Hughes drove in the 161st run of her career to plate Martin for C-N's first run. Dye followed with an RBI single to right center to pull C-N within three runs, 5-2.
E&H extended the lead out to four runs in the fifth. Rachel Hill smoked her seventh home run of the season to centerfield on a one-out solo shot to give the Wasps a 6-2 advantage.
The Eagles would get it all back in the bottom of the inning. C-N tallied five straight one-out hits to level the score. Hughes, Dye and Bailey went up the middle, off the pitcher and to center, respectively, to load the bases. Matyasovsky roped a screaming single to center to plate one, before Lucero cranked a bases-clearing double to the left centerfield gap to tie the game 6-6.
C-N made it eight unanswered in the bottom of the sixth. Martin led off the inning with a single through the left side. Brooks reached on a fielder's choice to short on a play where Martin was safe at second after a muffed catch on a potential double-play ball.
Hughes took advantage with a single back up the box. She scored Martin naturally for an RBI to put C-N in front, then Brooks came in to score as well on an errant throw by the centerfielder. Hughes moved to second on that throw, then took third on a throwing error by the catcher trying to get Brooks at the dish. When the dust settled, the Eagles had a 8-6 lead. However, C-N wasn't done. After a pair of groundouts, Matyasovsky cleared the scoreboard with her 14th homer of the season and 64th of her career. The two-run shot set the final margin at 10-6/
NO DOUBT DINGER for @brookematy
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 13, 2024
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Frost got the win in relief to move to 13-3. She fired the final 5.1 innings, giving up two hits and a run. She struck out eight and didn't walk anyone.
Destiny Good took the loss for E&H to fall to 0-2. She pitched the entire game, surrendering 15 hits and 10 runs, seven earned.
Carson-Newman steps out of SAC play for the final time this season Tuesday when it takes on Milligan at 2 p.m. Coverage of the doubleheader is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/FloSB.
