VIDEO: Mariyn Waterman Interview
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (26-14, 13-7 SAC) outscored Coker (11-25, 4-14 SAC) 23-5 in a Senior Day sweep at The Vick, sending a class of seven seniors home with a pair of wins.
Carson-Newman recognized Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.), Ally Goodwin (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Lexi Lacy (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.), Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.), Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.), and Mariyn Waterman (Oakdale, Calif.) for their contributions to the C-N softball program in their time on the banks of Mossy Creek.
"I hate losing even two or three kids," head coach Michael Graves said. "We recognized seven today, but we're losing more than that because a couple returned for their fifth year. It's a big class, and they have won many games together. You get attached to the kids… I just had a couple for a year, but you still get attached to them. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with them, and they'll be very successful."
C-N started the day with a wire-to-wire run-rule shutout in game one before having to rally from behind early in game two, using a pair of big innings late to secure the sweep.
GAME ONE: C-N 14, Coker 0 (5)
Syerra Rogers started her Senior Day on a high note, striking out the side in the first inning to let C-N's offense get to work in the bottom half. The first two Eagles reached on walks, and with one out in the home half of the first, Santana Anderson (Fairmont, N.C.) delivered the game's first punch with an RBI single to open the scoring.
Coker got its first baserunner in the second inning on a Bailee Gaskins leadoff single. Still, Rogers retired three of the following four Cobras, stranding a runner in scoring position and keeping C-N's one-run lead intact.
C-N started a stretch of three innings with four runs or more in the home half of the second, as the Eagles loaded the bases on a Cobra error and a pair of singles from Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) and Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.). Hayden Dye scored one on a fielder's choice before Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) mashed a three-run shot, her 15th home run of 2025. The junior has now hit 15 home runs in each of her three seasons at Carson-Newman. Bailey's blast put a cap on a four-run frame, extending C-N's lead to five after two.
After another scoreless frame from Rogers, C-N's offense continued to produce in the third. The first two Eagles reached on a Brooklyn Lucero walk and Abbi Martin's second hit of the day, setting the table with no one out. Trinity Brooks ripped a single through the left side, scoring one before Addie Saunders scored two on a two-RBI double, ballooning the lead to 8-0. Santana Anderson added one more to C-N's tally in the frame on a sacrifice fly.
Despite a one-out single, Rogers retired the following two in the fourth. C-N led off its half of the fourth with an Ally Goodwin walk, a Lucero single, and a Martin walk to load the bases. Trinity Brooks walked in one before three scored on a costly Coker error, expanding the lead to 13. Macauley Bailey grounded out, scoring one to cap off a five-run 4th.
Lexi Lacy (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) entered for the fifth, sealing a run-rule shutout victory with a scoreless top of the fifth, retiring three of the four Cobras that came to the plate.
Syerra Rogers added to her career-high in wins, earning her 13th after dealing four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, and striking out seven. Lexi Lacy dealt the final inning, allowing one hit.
GAME TWO: C-N 9, Coker 5
Coker took its first lead of the day in the first inning of game two, as Payton Brigman ripped a two-out two-RBI single to give the Cobras a 2-0 edge.
C-N answered in the bottom half, loading the bases with one away. Mari Robbins poked a single up the middle, scoring one and slicing the deficit in half. Brooklyn Lucero scored one on an RBI groundout, knotting the contest at two after one.
Mariyn Waterman settled in during the second inning, stranding a runner on second by retiring three of four Cobras after a leadoff single, including a half-inning ending strikeout. However, after a scoreless half-inning from the Eagle offense, Coker's Madie Andrews and Payton Brigman ripped back-to-back hits to regain the lead, 3-2.
Waterman dealt a 1-2-3 scoreless fourth, keeping the deficit at one and allowing C-N's offense to retake the lead in the home half of the fourth. With one out in the frame, Addie Saunders, Hayden Dye, and Macauley Bailey notched three consecutive hits, with Bailey's tying the game at three. Santana Anderson delivered the game's most significant swing after Bailey's RBI single, giving C-N a three-run lead with a three-run wall scraper, bouncing off the top of the wall to provide C-N with its first lead of game two at 6-3.
Despite a couple of baserunners in the fifth, Waterman stranded both to collect her second consecutive scoreless frame. Abbi Martin doubled to lead off the home half and was moved to third on a Trinity Brooks groundout, and Addie Saunders added to the C-N lead with an RBI groundout to make it 7-3 after five.
Waterman continued to find her groove in the 6th, striking out back-to-back Cobras before forcing Callie Schmidt to ground out, capping off six strong innings from the senior and keeping C-N's multi-run advantage intact.
"It's really all about trusting the girls behind me," Waterman said. "Knowing that we're all putting the work in is important. Everyone had my back… I'm a contact pitcher, so I get a lot of ground balls, and I trust that they'll field them."
A leadoff single from Santana Anderson gave the Eagles some action on the bases early in the home half of the sixth, and with two outs in the frame, Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) mashed her eighth home run of 2025, putting a stamp on Senior Day by growing C-N's lead to six.
Lexi Lacy came in for the seventh, and despite a pair of RBI hits from the Cobras, she was able to slam the door on the Cobras and secure the sweep.
"I definitely needed to have my teammate's backs," Lacy said. "They helped me, and we came out strong to get the job done."
Mariyn Waterman earned her first win in her first start in a Carson-Newman uniform, dealing six innings while allowing nine hits and three earned runs, striking out five. Lexi Lacy pitched the final inning, allowing two runs on three hits.
C-N will look to build on the pair of Senior Day wins in a midweek doubleheader at Emory & Henry on Wednesday, starting at 1 p.m. in Emory, Va.
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.
