HICKORY, N.C. – Carson-Newman (28-14, 13-11 South Atlantic Conference) and 20th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (34-10. 16-8 SAC) swapped two tight contests on a sunny Sunday at Bears Field.
Lenoir-Rhyne prevailed in game one 4-2 before the Eagles staved off a late LR rally for a 6-5 win in the nightcap.
The win in game two snapped a five-game skid for C-N, tied for the longest losing streak in school history.
C-N took the nightcap after scoring three times in the top of the seventh inning, only for Lenoir-Rhyne to get the tying run to third and the winning run to second in the bottom of the seventh. However, a strikeout and a groundout sealed the split for the Eagles.
"We made the seventh (in game two) a little interesting, but I'm proud of the effort today," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "Lots of people contributed and we got two good starts by Syerra (Rogers) and Rylee (Gattis). Hopefully this is what we needed to kickstart us back on track. I keep having to remind myself that we are still fairly young so some growing pains are definitely part of this journey. I can definitely say one thing about them - they dont know the word quit."
Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) and SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) both tallied three-hit days in the nightcap. Bailey drove in two runs to extend her SAC-leading total to 58 RBI on the season.
GAME ONE: No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne 4, Carson-Newman 2
Both teams had dueling one-hit shutouts cooking until the fourth when Lenoir-Rhyne broke through off a C-N miscue. Talon LaClair led off the inning with the Bears' first hit of the day, a single back up the box. Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) motored along and got a fly out and a strike out to keep LaClair at first. On a 3-2 pitch, Gianna Tamburello struck out swinging, but catcher Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) dropped the third strike. While the drop would have usually results in a 2-3 putout at first, Warder struggled to get around the home-plate umpire, delaying her throw and allowing Tamburello to reach on an unusual passed ball.
With the inning extended, Anna Blume took advantage and rolled a base-hit back up the box to score the opening run in unearned fashion. A wild pitch brought in the second run of the inning and gave LR a 2-0 cushion after four innings.
The Bears added to their lead in the fifth. Julia Mardigian singled to lead off the inning. However, after a fielder's choice and a foul out, Cassidy Wall bashed an 0-2 pitch to centerfield to double the lead.
Carson-Newman used the long ball to rally. Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) crammed a 3-1 pitch with two outs in the top of the sixth to right center to put C-N on the board. It was her 23rd home run of her career.
Then, Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.) led off the seventh pulling the first pitch of her at-bat over the wall in left field.
The Eagles brought the tying run to the plate after Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) kept the rally alive with a one-out double to right, but a rare 5-3-6 double play ended C-N's chances.
Morgan Beeler improved to 20-3 on the year with the win. She dealt the complete game, giving up four hits and two runs, both earned, while striking out six. She didn't walk anyone but did hit one batter.
Rogers was the hard-luck loser for C-N in falling to 7-4. She surrendered five hits and four runs, but only two earned. Rogers fanned nine, walked two and hit one.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 6, No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne 5
Carson-Newman tallied the opening run of the game in the top of the first. SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) led off the inning with a single slashed through the left side. She moved to second on a Hughes groundout and scored a one-out single smashed up the left field line by Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) that gave C-N a 1-0 lead after a half inning.
Lenoir-Rhyne responded in the bottom of the second. LaClair led off the inning with a double down the right field line. A walk and passed ball gave the Bears two runners in scoring position with no one out. After a pop up to center, Lauren Jackson flied out to the wall in left allowing LaClair to tag and score an unearned run to tie the game 1-1.
The Bears grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out solo home run from Lauren Rakes. The 1-2 pitch left the park on a line to left center for a 2-1 LR lead.
Carson-Newman answered in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) started the inning with a single bounced down the right field line. After a strikeout, Martin stole second and took third on a throwing error. Cameron answered the bell slapping a 2-2 pitch into left to plate Martin for what would go down as an unearned run.
Lenoir-Rhyne retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three straight two out singles. Rakes' base hit to center gave the Bears a 3-2 lead.
The Eagles leveled it up in the top of the sixth. Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) clobbered her sixth home run of the season opposite field to right center off the first pitch of her at-bat. The one-out solo shot made it a 3-3 ballgame.
C-N roared in front in the top of the seventh with a crooked number. After a lineout started the inning, Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) walked and Cameron singled back to the pitcher. On Cameron's knock, Robbins aggressively took third to set up a stolen base for Cameron. With two in scoring position and one out, Hughes drove in the go-ahead run with a bouncing ball back up the box.
Cameron crossed on a wild pitch before Bailey drove in her second run of the day with a single through the left side to give C-N a 6-3 lead.
LR rallied in the bottom of the seventh. LaClair walked to lead off the inning before Wall doubled to right center. LaClair scored on a wild pitch before Rakes drove in a run with a single through the left side.
The Bears got the winning run on base with a Jackson single. An Anna Blume sacrifice bunt moved the Rakes/Jackson pairing into scoring position. Reliever NicKollette Ferguson (Erwin, Tenn.) got a punchout looking for the second out of the inning before a walk loaded the bases. However, Ferguson induced a groundout to first to preserve the Eagles' first win over a top-25 team this season.
Rogers got the win in relief to improve to 8-4. She dealt 2.0 innings, allowing six hits and three runs all earned. Rylee Gattis (Southside, Ala.) started and pitched the first four frames. She scattered seven hits and two runs, one of which was earned.
Ferguson logged her first save of the season. She collected the final three outs. She gave up a hit, walked one, and struck out one.
Brooklyn Heavner took the loss for the Bears. She worked the first 6.1 innings while giving up 10 hits and six runs, five earned.
Carson-Newman hits the road for the South Atlantic Conference Tournament in Wingate next Thursday. The Eagles will take on fourth-seeded Newberry at 5:30 p.m.
