JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. –- Carson-Newman (5-2) started a four-game weekend on the right foot on Sunday, defeating Converse (2-8) and Lees-McRae (0-8) thanks to a stellar offensive output backed by solid pitching, especially in game two.
Playing from behind for most of game one, C-N needed a late surge to take down Converse. In game two, C-N trailed early, but scored the next nine runs in the contest to defeat Lees-McRae.
GAME ONE: C-N 6, Converse 5
The Eagles started the game with a familiar component, as Santana Anderson (Fairmont, N.C.) left the yard for the first time with C-N, and her first of two long balls in game one, to give the Eagles a lead in the bottom of the 2nd.
"Santana was huge for us in game one," head coach Michael Graves said. "She kept us in the game. She hit the men's 300-foot fence on the first home run and one-hopped it in her second, which speaks to her power."
The Valkyries regained the lead with three runs in the third inning, as Charley Swartzel scored one on a sacrifice fly before Sydney Watson cashed in two on a two-RBI single to gain a 3-1 lead.
The Eagles had an answer, as Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) scored one on a sacrifice fly in the 3rd before Santana Anderson mashed her second home run of the day in the 4th to bring C-N even at three.
The stalemate would break in the top of the 5th. Converse's Watson roped her second RBI knock of the day on an RBI-single, and Kiarra Thomas ripped a ground-rule double to give the Valkyries a multi-run advantage for the second time.
C-N again had an answer, scoring one on a bases-loaded walk in the 5th before SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) circled the bases on what was ruled a fielding error on a hard-hit ball, scoring herself and Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) to give C-N a late lead.
Thomas reached second on her 2nd double of the day with one out, but Riley Sikes (Powell, Tenn.) retired the next two Valkyries to give C-N its fourth win in the young season.
"Good teams find ways to win," Graves said. "I know we are a very good team. We didn't have the best at-bats and made some mental mistakes, but we pulled through in the end."
Sikes is credited with the win in the circle after pitching the final 2.2 innings for the Eagles. The Powell native was efficient, tossing just 15 pitches, allowing two hits and no earned runs. Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.) got the start for the Eagles, tossing three innings, allowing two hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts. Mariyn Waterman (Oakdale, Calif.) threw 1.1 innings for C-N, surrendering one hit and two earned runs while walking three Valkyries.
For Converse, Riley Lingerfelt tossed all six innings, allowing seven hits and six earned runs, striking out five and walking four Eagles.
With the win, the Eagles remain undefeated against the Valkyries, owning the series 7-0.
GAME TWO: C-N 9, Lees-McRae 1
The day's second game featured less late-game dramatics, but C-N still found itself behind early. McKenzie Presson roped a ground-rule double in the 2nd, and eventually touched home on a sacrifice fly to give the Bobcats the lead heading into the bottom of the 2nd.
As was the case in game one, C-N had an immediate answer. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.), Wynter Morris (Crozet, Va.), and Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) started the threat with three infield singles, one of which scored Kennady Warder who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame to tie the game at one.
SieAnna Cameron cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple before Hayden Dye scored her on a sacrifice fly to put C-N in the driver's seat, leading 5-1 after two innings.
Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) relieved Riley Sikes after two innings of one-run ball and stranded a runner on-base after allowing two hits in the frame.
C-N was scoreless in the 3rd, and after a 1-2-3 frame from Rogers, C-N continued to add onto its lead in the 4th. Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) and SieAnna Cameron tallied back-to-back singles before Hayden Dye scored one on a sacrifice fly. Santana Anderson produced again, building on an impressive day with an RBI-double to extend the C-N lead to 8-1 after four.
Rogers would strand two runners in the 5th and allow freshman Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) to walk it off in run-rule fashion in a pinch-hit effort, scoring Bailee Worley (Black Mountain, N.C.) from third to end the ballgame.
With the win, C-N continues its dominance over Lees-McRae, notching the 20th-consecutive win in the all-time series between the two programs.
C-N will conclude its weekend in Johnson City on Sunday, squaring off with King at 11 a.m. before seeing the Barton Bulldogs for the first time in program history at 1:30 p.m.
There will be an audio-only stream of the two contests at cneagles.com/live, and fans can also follow along at cneagles.com/livestats.
For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball campaign, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media at cneagles.com/livestats.
