VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview

WINGATE, N.C. – Carson-Newman (17-9, 4-2 SAC) saw its eight-game win streak end on Tuesday, dropping two contests to Wingate (15-11, 6-0 SAC) in run-rule fashion.

"Our pitch selection wasn't great, plain and simple," head coach Michael Graves said. "We swung at a lot of bad pitches. We've got to know the difference between balls and strikes."

GAME ONE: Wingate 9, Carson-Newman 1

It was a solid start to the day for C-N, as Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Macauley Bailey ripped back-to-back singles to lead off the contest. However, Wingate's Jillian Thomas settled in, tossing back-to-back strikeouts before forcing a soft fly out to strand two aboard and end the threat.

Wingate struck in the bottom of the first, as Hali Scott ripped a two-out RBI-single to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead after the first inning.

For the second time in as many innings, the first two Eagles to come to the plate got on base, as Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) poked a single down the left field line before Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) reached on a bunt single. Despite another advantageous scenario for C-N, Thomas answered as she did in the first, retiring the next three Eagles to keep the Bulldogs' lead intact.

Wingate's Kaylee Furr immediately added to Wingate's lead in the home half of the second, ripping her first long ball of the season to left to lead off the frame. Later in the frame, Kaylee Hobgood singled up the middle to score one and stretch the Wingate lead. With two outs in the frame and the bases-loaded, a fly ball high in the sky nicked off a C-N glove and cleared the bases, stretching the Wingate lead to 6-0 after two.

The Bulldogs added one in the fourth on a sac fly before C-N's offense showed life in the fifth, as Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) blasted her fifth home run of the season to get the Eagles on the board. However, the next three Eagles were retired to end the frame.

Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.) retained the ounce of momentum C-N garnered in the fourth with a scoreless bottom half, but C-N went down in order in the fifth.

Wingate quickly loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fifth with no one out, and Lily Huneycutt ended the game early with a two-RBI single to secure Wingate a run-rule victory over C-N, becoming the first team since Lee early in the season to win a run-rule contest over the Eagles.

Freshman Lorelei Spradlin was dealt the loss, her third of the season. Spradlin dealt four innings of work for the Eagles, allowing 12 hits and five of the nine runs that came across were earned.

Jillian Thomas earned her eighth win, allowing six hits and the lone earned run while striking out five.

GAME TWO: Wingate 12, Carson-Newman 4

Carson-Newman had another early opportunity with a runner in scoring position, as Macauley Bailey roped a two-out double. As she did in game one, Jillian Thomas set down the next Eagle to end the frame.

Wingate opened the scoring in a big way in the home half of the first. Savanna Brooks crushed a two-run home run before a Hali Scott double. Scott came in to score on a Raelynn Kramer RBI double to make it 3-0. The scoring would continue, as Kaylee Furr, Damyia McFadden, and Kaylee Hobgood ripped RBI knocks to extend the Wingate lead to seven runs after one.

The Eagles had their largest offensive output of the day as Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) continued her stellar stretch with a solo home run before Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) scored another on an RBI groundout to bring C-N within five at 7-2.

Wingate's Savanna Brooks answered with her second home run of the day, a solo blast to lead off the home half of the second and bring the lead back to six. Jaden Burns singled home another, stretching the Bulldog lead back to seven.

The Eagles and Bulldogs traded scoreless frames in the third, as Lexi Lacy (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) dealt a scoreless third frame to bring C-N back to the dish in the fourth. Macauley Bailey scored one on a two-out single to right, getting the Eagles back on the board.

The Bulldogs scored one in the fourth on a sacrifice fly before Kennady Warder blasted a solo home run in the fifth to give the Eagles some life. However, a Hali Scott home run to lead off the home half of the fifth before Hannah Stevens left the yard in the next at bat put the finishing touches on Wingate's second run-rule victory of the day.

Syerra Rogers was dealt her third loss of 2025, tossing an inning of work, allowing eight hits and only one earned run with the other six coming across unearned. Lexi Lacy pitched the final three innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits.

Lily Robbins earned her second win of 2025, dealing four innings after Jillian Thomas exited after the first. Robbins allowed two earned runs on four hits while striking out five.

The Eagles will look for a bounce back effort on Friday, heading to Anderson, South Carolina, for a doubleheader with the Anderson Trojans starting at 1 p.m.

The contests will be available on FloSports ($) with an audio-only stream at cneagle.com/live.

For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.