VIDEO: Mari Robbins & Kennady Warder Interview
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (21-13, 8-6 SAC) split a pair of contests with Limestone (11-17, 6-8 SAC) on Wednesday, dropping its first home contest since February 5th in game one before responding with a 10-2 run-rule win in game two.
"I liked how we bounced back with the bats," head coach Michael Graves said. "Loralei [Spradlin] gave us a shot in the circle and held them pretty well… I thought our approach at the plate was a lot better… In the first game, our swing plane got away from us… We kept flying out to the fence, so we discussed between games that we must flatten our swing plane, which paid off."
The game one loss to Limestone was C-N's first defeat at home since getting swept by Lee on February 5th. It also snapped a ten-game home winning streak over South Atlantic Conference opponents. However, C-N bounced back nicely in game two, winning its tenth run-rule game of 2025.
GAME ONE: Limestone 8, Carson-Newman 5
After Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) dealt a scoreless first inning, C-N started the scoring on Macauley Bailey's (Cross Plains, Tenn.) 41st home run of her career, a two-run shot to give the Eagles an early advantage. Bailey's long ball marked the 15th time in 2025 that C-N scored in the first inning, and the Eagles had only lost once in contests where they opened the scoring in the first.
Limestone wasted no time drawing even as Skylar Page walked to open the frame before Olivia Veidt knotted the game at two on a two-run home run in the second. Rogers responded nicely, retiring the next three Saints and striking out the last two.
C-N's offense went quietly against Limestone's Chelsey Stonesifer in the second through the sixth, unable to retake the lead through the four scoreless frames from Limestone's starter. Rogers held the Saints at bay until the fifth, when Limestone snagged its first lead. Faith Callaway ripped a triple to left center and scored on the next pitch, giving Limestone a 3-2 lead after four and a half. Rogers again bounced back nicely, retiring three consecutive Saints to strand runners on first and second.
Limestone would add on the sixth as Callaway crushed a two-run home run, her second extra-base hit of the game to extend the Saints' lead to three. Emma King capped off a three-run sixth with an RBI single, adding another insurance run to the Limestone lead.
The Eagles showed life in the bottom half of the sixth as Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) launched a two-run home run, her first since March 1st against Southern Wesleyan and her 10th in 2025, one of two Eagles to have ten or more home runs this season. Robbins' two-run blast was C-N's first run production since the first inning, bringing the Eagles within two.
"It felt great," Robbins said. "It's been a while, but I've been trying to swing at better pitches… I feel like I'm going to take this with me through the rest of the season."
The Eagles would bring the tying run to the plate in the sixth, but a frozen rope of a throw from Ragan Bristol behind the plate caught Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) trying to steal second, ending the C-N threat.
The Saints padded the lead again in the seventh as Faith Callaway converted an opportunity with runners on second and third, cashing in two with her third extra-base hit, a two-RBI triple to make it 8-4.
With one out in the bottom half of the seventh, Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) smoked a solo shot, bringing C-N within three with two outs to work with. However, Stonesifer retired the next two Eagles, handing C-N its third home loss of 2025.
Chelsey Stonesifer earned her seventh win, dealing her seventh complete game, allowing five earned runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out three.
Syerra Rogers was dealt just her fourth losing decision in 2025, tossing 6.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking seven. Lexi Lacy (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) got the final two outs of the seventh, allowing one hit.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 10, Limestone 2 (5)
The Eagles got a quick start in game two after a scoreless first inning from Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.). The first two Eagles reached to start the frame before Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) began a string of three consecutive run-scoring hits with a two-RBI double, giving C-N the early lead. Macauley Bailey followed with an RBI single before Mari Robbins launched her second home run, matching Bailey's team-leading total of 11.
"It felt great," Robbins said. "It's been a while, but I've been trying to swing at better pitches… I feel like I'm going to take this with me through the rest of the season."
After a leadoff single from Olivia Veidt in the second, Spradlin retired the next Saint on strikes, and Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) turned two up the middle, ending Spradlin's second scoreless frame.
The Eagles and Saints traded scoreless frames in the second and third before Limestone reduced the deficit in the fourth. After a flyout to start the frame, the next two Saints reached on a single and an error, allowing an Allie Boone RBI groundout to get Limestone on the board, making it 5-1 after three and a half.
C-N regained the momentum in the bottom half. Addie Saunders got into scoring position with a walk and a Kennady Warder sacrifice bunt, allowing Hayden Dye to cash in on the opportunity with her second RBI double of the game, reinstating C-N's five-run edge. Macauley Bailey and Dye traded places again, as Bailey ripped an RBI double to score Dye and give C-N its largest lead at 7-1.
The Eagles would add two more as Robbins doubled to score one, marking the second time the three-through-five hitters strung together three consecutive run-scoring hits in the contest. Santana Anderson (Fairmont, N.C.) capped the four-run fourth with an RBI groundout, putting C-N in run-rule territory and growing the lead to 9-1.
Down to their last out in the fifth, Madilyn Gerhovac momentarily kept the game alive with a solo home run, cutting the deficit to seven and sending it to the bottom of the fifth.
With two outs in the bottom half of the fifth, Addis Saunders reached on a hit by pitch, and Kennady Warder singled, sending Saunders to third. Hayden Dye ended the contest on an RBI single, scoring Saunders and securing the split.
Five Eagles recorded multi-hit efforts, including Kennady Warder, tallying a 3-for-3 effort to extend her hitting streak to 11 games. Dye, Rogers, Robbins, and Bailey chipped in with multi-hit days to take game two.
"It was nice," Warder said. "Just knowing that I am at the plate producing and helping my team win ball games is big for me."
Lorelei Spradlin earned her sixth win of her freshman season, dealing her fifth complete game, allowing one earned run on four hits while walking one and striking out three.
Karly Gentry was dealt her fifth loss, recording two outs and allowing five runs on five hits. Carmen Turgeon kept the door open for Limestone, dealing 2.2 innings and allowing two runs on three hits. Breanna Clayton entered for the final 1.1 innings of work, surrendering two earned runs on four hits.
The Eagles will look to build on the successes from game two, aiming to find their footing in a pair of Saturday road contests at UVA Wise, starting at 1 p.m.
The games 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.
