Softball drops a pair of close games late at #21 Carson-Newman

Jefferson City, Tenn. —- The Catawba College softball team fell in a pair of one-run games at 21st-ranked Carson-Newman on Saturday in South Atlantic Conference softball action. The Eagles improve to 21-5 overall and 6-2 in the SAC, while the Catawba Indians drop to 14-10 on the year and 2-4 in league play.

Molly Strider broke out in game number one, going 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Riley Tucker also homered in the early game. Courtnee Carter added a pair of runs driven in on a double.

Carter got the scoring started, as her ground-rule double down the left field line scored Strider and Lauren Brickey to knock Carson-Newman starter Syerra Rogers out of the game. The Eagles struck back for six straight runs, as Brooke Matyasovsky's RBI single put C-N up 5-2 after four innings.

The power surge for Catawba started in the fifth, as Tucker and Strider hit solo and two-run homers, respectively in the frame before Strider's solo homer in the seventh tied the game at six. The Eagles scored on a fielding error in the bottom half to take the game one win.

Catawba's offense picked up where it left off in the second game, piling up nine runs and 14 hits. Bri Gallagher and Aniyah King each went for three hits, an RBI and a run scored. Carter also recorded two hits and two RBI, while Savanna Balderston had a pair of hits and two runs scored and Strider hit her third home run of the day.

The Catawba Indians put up a four-spot in the second inning, as King had a base-hit bunt to get the scoring in the inning started, Carter walked home a run and Christina Brendle scored a pair on an RBI single to center field.

Carson-Newman cut the deficit in half, but Catawba added four more runs in the fifth as Strider homered again, and Balderston and Carter recorded back-to-back RBI base hits, as the Catawba Indians took an 8-2 lead after the top of the fifth inning. Matyasovsky's three-run homer in the bottom half cut the Eagles' deficit in half again.

Gallagher added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, but it was not enough as C-N scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth and shut the Catawba Indians down in the seventh for the sweep.

Catawba continues SAC play at home on Tuesday, hosting Tusculum for a doubleheader set starting at 1 p.m.