JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (18-10, 5-3 SAC) faces a stout test on Tuesday afternoon, hosting in-state rival and the NCAA's leader in wins, No. 23 Tusculum (29-1, 8-0 SAC) for a midweek doubleheader at The Vick.
The Eagles are coming off a tough week on the road, dropping three run-rule contests, two at Wingate and one at Anderson. The lone win came in the first of two against Anderson, where Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) tossed seven innings of one-run ball, and C-N got enough run support to earn the win. It was C-N's lowest scoring output in a win this season, but the pitching and defense helped the Eagles take down the Trojans in game one.
Game two was all Anderson, putting up five runs in the third and six in the fourth to put C-N away in the middle innings. AU's Katie Morris, the South Atlantic Conference leader in strikeouts, held the C-N offense at bay and allowed the Trojans to end the game in five.
C-N faces a big test on Tuesday, welcoming No. 23 Tusculum to The Vick for a SAC doubleheader. The Pioneers lead the country in wins (29) and own the second-longest win streak in Division II (16). However, the Pioneers' strength of schedule ranks 195th out of 277 teams in Division II.
Tusculum's lone loss came against Southern Wesleyan in an 11-10 slugfest in the nightcap of a doubleheader on February 21st. Since then, the Pioneers have ripped off 16 straight, including eight South Atlantic Conference wins.
The midweek matchup features two of the conference's top offenses, with the Eagles and the Pioneers sitting first and second in the league's top-hitting clubs. The Pioneers are second in team batting average (.364), just behind C-N's league-leading mark (.375). Tusculum ranks first in the SAC in hits (310) and second in RBIs (214).
The Pioneers have been equally impressive in the circle, holding the SAC's best team ERA (3.04) while striking out 147, the third-best tally in the conference.
Additionally, Tusculum has a handful of players whose individual statistical marks rank near the top of the league. Gabi Nicholson is the top RBI threat in the South Atlantic Conference, with 40 in 2025. Sammy Jimenez ranks third, scoring 38 through 30 games. Brooke Smith has the league's best batting average (.500), while Danielle Jason is third (.469).
The Pioneers do not hesitate to send runners when they reach, holding the top three spots in the SAC in stolen bases. Danielle Jason (36), Brooke Smith (26), and Ellie Alvarez (20) lead the league in stolen bags, making up 82 of Tusculum's 106 stolen bases in 2025.
Tusculum's pitching staff is deep, with four arms throwing 30 or more innings in 2025. Megan Ackerman is second in wins in the South Atlantic Conference (13) and fifth in strikeouts (71). Ackerman holds a 13-1 record with a 2.99 ERA through 79.2 innings of work.
Natalie Spaitis has thrown 53.2 innings, posting a 3.26 ERA and a flawless 6-0 record. The other two arms, Nyah Vogel and Dani Beckham have combined for the other 67 innings of work, with ERAs at or below three through 23 combined appearances in 2025.
C-N looks to cool off the Pioneers, putting its nine-game home winning streak to the test against one of the hotter teams in the country. The first pitch of the doubleheader is at 1 p.m.
The twin bill will be available on FloSports ($) with an audio-only stream at cneagles.com/live.
For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
