VIDEO: Addie Saunders Interview
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (24-14, 11-7 SAC) used a complimentary performance in a run-rule game one win over Catawba (16-20, 6-10 SAC) before overcoming a six-run deficit in game two but falling just short in a game two extra-inning loss to the Indians.
C-N's game-one success was powered by five innings of a one-hit ball from Sierra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.), holding the Catawba offense at bay while the Eagle bats built a sizable advantage.
"Syerra did a great job today, both offensively and defensively," head coach Michael Graves said. "That kid is doing her best to do everything we need her to do."
Despite the game two loss, C-N's offense produced, mashing four home runs in the twin bill to bring the Eagles' total to 61, officially breaking the single-season home run record of 58 set in 2024. However, the offense didn't get going until late in game two, as C-N had to climb out of the six-run hole.
"It's good and bad," Graves said. "We're never out of a ballgame because we tend to hit the long ball, but in game two, we constantly flew out… It didn't do us much good there."
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 9, Catawba 1
Syerra Rogers dealt with the top of the Catawba order in the first inning, setting down the first three Indians to step to the plate.
In the home half of the frame, C-N got a leadoff double from Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.), one of three hits in game one from the freshman to create immediate traffic on the basepaths.
Despite the next two Eagles retiring, Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) came through with two outs, punching an RBI single to give C-N a 1-0 edge. Directly after Bailey's two-out knock, Santana Anderson (Fairmont, N.C.) sent a record-tying two-run blast out of The Vick, stamping a three-run first for C-N.
Rogers worked another 1-2-3 frame in the top of the second before giving herself some run support with a leadoff solo home run in the home half of the second, officially snapping C-N's single-season home run record and extending the Eagle lead. C-N would get another in the frame after a pitch plunked Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.), and Addie Saunders singled before Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to grow C-N's lead to 5-0.
Rachel Pressly got Catawba on the board in the third, notching the Indians' first and only hit against Syerra Rogers, a solo home run to get Catawba within four. Despite the momentum to start the frame, Rogers retires the next three Catawba hitters to end the frame.
C-N went scoreless in the home half of the third, but another scoreless frame from Rogers got the Eagle offense back to the plate quickly. The bottom half of the inning got off to a hot start, as Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) doubled before Addie Saunders notched her third hit, marking the first career three-hit day for the freshman and creating instant traffic on the basepaths with one away.
"I think the hard work finally came through," Saunders said. "The work showed with the three hits."
Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) knocked in one on a two-out single, reimplementing a five-run edge for the Eagles after four innings.
Rogers continued dealing in the circle in the fifth, stranding a one-out baserunner by setting down the following two Catawba bats to end the frame. C-N would put the stamp on a run-rule win in the bottom half, as Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) started the threat with a one-out double.
Rogers tallied her second RBI knock of the game with a single to score Lucero, advancing to second on a Catawba error. Abbi Martin ripped an RBI single, scoring Rogers before Mari Robbins ended the contest on an RBI single of her own, giving C-N the condensed win in a game lasting an hour and 13 minutes.
Syerra Rogers earned win No. 12 of her senior season, tossing five innings of one-run ball while striking out three and limiting the free passes to two. Rogers contributed to her cause in the box, scoring a pair on two RBI hits, including a solo home run.
Catawba's Kate Holland dropped her seventh decision of 2025, allowing nine runs and 13 hits despite striking out five through 4.2 innings in the circle.
GAME TWO: Catawba 8, Carson-Newman 6 (8)
C-N got a promising start to game two, as Addie Saunders walked before Hayden Dye and Macauley Bailey roped back-to-back singles to load the bases. However, Catawba's Alexandra Baquie struck out the following two Eagles to strand the bases loaded.
"We've got to have somebody step up in those scenarios," Graves said. "Bases loaded and one out, and we didn't get the ball out of the infield… That's big. When we go three innings without scoring, they start hacking because there's no pressure on them… It put us in a bad position."
The Indians opened the scoring in the top of the second on a Kary Hales solo home run before adding on with a Brianna Herring RBI single, giving Catawba its first advantage of the day at 2-0. C-N had two reach in the bottom half of the second with one out, but Catawba's Baquie danced out of another tough spot to keep Catawba's lead intact.
With two out in the top of the third, Kary Hales tallied her second RBI extra-base hit, scoring one on an RBI double to extend the lead to three. The Eagles would go scoreless in the home half of the third before Catawba added another on a Micaela Hartman run-scoring single.
Catawba grew its lead in the fifth on a Molly Strider two-RBI single as the nightcap seemed to be slipping away from C-N on its home turf. However, C-N had a delayed answer in the home half of the fifth. The Eagles loaded the bases following a Macauley Bailey double, and a Santana Anderson walk before Syerra Rogers delivered an injection of life with one swing of the bat, launching her second grand slam of 2025 to get C-N within two. C-N would draw closer on an Abbi Martin RBI single, cutting the deficit to one.
The count would remain the same through the sixth as Rogers and Baquie traded scoreless frames. In her fourth inning of relief, Rogers kept the Catawba margin at one with a 1-2-3 seventh, leaving the door open for the Eagle offense.
Macauley Bailey wasted no time finding the equalizer in the decisive home half of the seventh, launching a leadoff game-tying solo home run to bring the game even. Santana Anderson reached with a single to follow Bailey, but Baquie retired the following three to send the game to the eighth.
Catawba would regain the lead in the top of the eighth on a pair of singles from Micaela Hartman and Savanna Balderston, giving the Indians a two-run lead with three outs to get in the bottom half. Despite C-N climbing out of the six-run hole, the offense didn't have an answer in the bottom half of the eighth, as Baquie retired the Eagles in order to end the contest in eight innings.
Syerra Rogers is dealt the loss, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven and walking a pair in five innings of relief. Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.) started the contest, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out three.
Alexandra Baquie pitched all eight innings for Catawba in a bend-don't-break effort, withstanding the late C-N surge and allowing six runs on ten hits, striking out three, and allowing five free passes.
C-N looks to bounce back this weekend, hosting Coker on Senior Day for a pair of contests starting at 11 a.m. The games are officially scheduled for Saturday due to inclement weather entering the area on Sunday.
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 @cn_eagles.
