Carson-Newman Loses Two to Catawba to Open SAC Play
March 21, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman softball team dropped a pair of games to Catawba to open South Atlantic Conference play Saturday afternoon at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex, falling in game one 6-3 and losing game two 4-2.
With the losses, the Lady Eagles fall to 16-10 overall and 0-2 in the SAC. Catawba improves to 14-10 and 2-0 in conference play.
In the first game, the Lady Eagles produced five hits and committed three errors, while Catawba collected 12 hits and was flawless in the field.
Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.), Whitney Durham (Rossville, Ga.), Sarah Little (Calhoun, Ga.), Amber Palmer (Kennesaw, Ga.) and Brianne Coon (Orlando, Fla.) each had one hit for the Lady Eagles.
Brittany Thornburg (Kings Mountain, N.C.) went 3-for-3 to lead Catawba, while Carly Sabat (Warren, Ohio), Cassie Markham (New Port Richey, Fla.) and Jessie Whitesides (Yadkinville, N.C.) contributed two hits each.
Indians starting hurler Chelsea Wallace (Danville, Ky.) (3-1) earned the win. Wallace pitched all seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out six batters.
C-N starter Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) (11-7) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs (two earned) on 12 hits in seven innings of work. Shealy also fanned five batters.
Catawba jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but C-N answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead. Little delivered a two-run double, and Palmer produced a run-scoring double for the Lady Eagles in the inning.
But it was all the offense C-N could muster. The Lady Eagles produced just two hits the rest of the way.
Catawba tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth on a run-scoring single by Whitesides.
The Indians put the game away by scoring three runs in the sixth.
In game two, Ryann Baker's (Rockwell, N.C.) two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning broke a 2-2 tie and turned out to be the game-winning hit for the Indians.
Durham finished with two hits to lead the Lady Eagles at the plate.
Allie Marshall (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) and Thornburg each had two hits for Catawba.
Indians starting pitcher Meghan Cobb (Richmond, Va.) (4-2) picked up the win after surrendering two runs on six hits and striking out seven in six innings on the mound. Cobb also walked five batters.
Wallace pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn her first save of the season.
C-N hurler Brittany Linton (Marietta, Ga.) (4-2) was hit with the loss. Linton allowed four runs on 10 hits in seven innings of work.
The Lady Eagles return to action on Tuesday in a SAC doubleheader at Mars Hill. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
