VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Game One Highlights
VIDEO: Game Two Highlights
VIDEO: Emma Frost Interview
VIDEO: Abbi Martin Interview
JEFFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (30-16, 16-6 South Atlantic Conference) sent out its senior class in style tallying a sweep of No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne (39-13, 16-8 SAC) Saturday afternoon at The Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
The Eagles won game one 4-2 before stiff-arming LR for a 6-5 win in the nightcap. It marks the first time C-N has swept Lenoir-Rhyne at home since 2002.
Carson-Newman also tallied its first sweep of a top-25 team since taking two from No. 23 Young Harris on Feb. 3, 2019 in a pair of games in Milledgeville, Ga.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) got wins in both games in the circle. She struck out 12 between the two games.
"Emma Frost was an absolute warrior for us today," head softball coach Michael Graves said. "She was very good in game one, and then did well in game two in spite of having to come back in earlier than we wanted her to in game two. Defensively, we made great plays around her between what Brooke Matyasovsky did at third, Macey Hughes did at second and Abbi Martin did in center. The effort was amazing both in the circle and behind her defensively."
C-N took advantage of opportunities, going 10-for-27 with runners in scoring position for the twinbill. Conversely, Lenoir-Rhyne was 5-for-15.
"Our girls that swing the big bats, they hit it hard at people," Graves said. "We were able to get people on, but in large part took advantage of. I'm proud of the girls for hanging in there and battling for two wins today."
Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) tallied a three-hit day in the night cap, while Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) produced a multi-hit, multi-RBI day in game two as well.
Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) drove in the 167th run of her career to move into a tie for third on the career RBI list with Sara Kelley. She also knocked her 19th double of the season – tied for the third-most in a year in school history.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 4, #19 Lenoir-Rhyne 2
It took a while, but Carson-Newman broke through in the fifth inning. With one out, Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) reached on a fielding error at third base, moving to second on the error. A batter later, Hayden Dye (Powell, Tenn.) doubled down the left field line to plate Hughes. After a groundout and a walk, the Eagles had runners on the corners and two out.
Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) stroked a single to right center for a 2-0 lead. Wynter Morris (Crozet, Va.) followed with a pinch-hit double to left center. The ball was mis-played by the leftfielder allowing both runners to score, making it 4-0 C-N.
Hayden Dye puts C-N in front with a double down the left line!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 20, 2024
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Lenoir-Rhyne answered in the top of the sixth. Katelyn Rackard cranked a ground-rule double with two out to right center. Lani Warren bounced her eighth home run of the season off the top of the wall in left field to cut the lead in half, 4-2.
Emma Frost (Morristown, Tenn.) retired the Bears in order in the seventh to lock up the win. She improved to 15-3. She struck out six and didn't issue any free passes. Frost gave up three hits and the two runs that were both earned.
Lauren Rakes was a hard-luck loser for LR. She dropped to 15-7 with the loss. Rakes struck out eight and walked one. All four runs she allowed were unearned.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 6, Lenoir-Rhyne 5\
Lenoir-Rhyne lit the lamp first in the night cap. The Bears teed off with back-to-back one-out singles from Rakes and Kaylan Brown to score the first run. Two-more successive one-out singles from Madison Wilson and Julia Mardigian gave the Bears a 2-0 lead after the top of the second.
The lead would be short-lived. Carson-Newman capitalized on LR miscues to tie the game in the bottom of the second. Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) and Hughes reached on errors with two outs. Dye followed with a bloop single to right to drive in one run. Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) tied it up with a single up the middle to score Hughes.
Lenoir-Rhyne countered in the top of the third. Madison Primm led off the inning with a double down the right field line. After a groundout, Cassidy Wall sent a two-strike pitch back from whence it came to put the Bears in front 3-2.
The Eagles tied it back up in the bottom of the third inning. Lucero and Morris reached to start the inning with a single and a walk. A sacrifice moved the pair into scoring position. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) came through with a one-out single to left to level things up 3-3.
The game see-sawed back in the Bears favor in the fourth. Warren hit her second bomb of the doubleheader, a two-out solo shot to left center off an 0-1 pitch to give the Bears back the lead 4-3.
C-N put together a dandy of a two-out rally to take the lead in the fifth. Lucero led off the inning getting plunked before taking second on a wild pitch. After a groundout and a strike out, Martin bounced a triple off the wall in center to tie the game 4-4. Brooks followed, slashing a single through the left side to give the Eagles a 5-4 lead. Brooks stole second and scored when Hughes slashed a single through the left side to give the Eagles a two-run cushion, 6-4.
The Bears made things interesting in the top of the seventh. After a strikeout to start the inning, Warren looped a single into center. Another strikeout followed, before Lora Beth Wood golfed a 2-2 pitch over the head of C-N's leaping rightfielder Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.). Warren raced home from three bases away off the double that put the tying run on second.
We prefer our @SportsCenter-worthy catches to secure sweeps over top-20 clubs.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) April 20, 2024
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Cassidy Wall had a chance to tie things up for the Bears. She stroked a 1-2 pitch into the right center field alleyway, but Martin was able to chase down the ball and lay-out for a Sportscenter-worthy grab to secure the final out of the inning and get C-N the win.
Frost improved to 16-3 in the circle in relief. She pitched the final 4.2 innings, allowing three hits and two runs, both earned. She struck out six and didn't walk a batter.
Alissa Russ took the loss in relief for LR, falling to 3-1. She pitched 0.2 innings, allowing three hits and three runs, all earned.
Rain has washed out the Eagles' Sunday games against Anderson. Carson-Newman will play in the SAC tournament starting next Friday. Times and seeds will be released by the league office at the conclusion of Sunday's competition.
