VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Macauley Bailey Interview
VIDEO: Katey Mathena Interview
WISE, Va. – Carson-Newman (23-13, 10-6 SAC) got over the hump on the road on Saturday afternoon, outscoring UVA Wise (17-20, 3-11 SAC) 16-5 in a doubleheader sweep, sweeping a South Atlantic Conference opponent away from home for the first time in 2025.
The Eagles used a complimentary wire-to-wire effort in game one before coming from behind in game two, using an eight-run fourth inning to overpower the Highland Cavaliers and earn a much-needed road sweep.
"It feels great," head coach Michael Graves said. "In my opinion, this is what we should've been doing all along. I can't say enough about Katey [Mathena] coming into catch in the spur of the moment, and Addie [Saunders] has been huge for us at the top of the lineup… Instead of going down in game two and thinking, 'Oh, here we go again,' it was Abbi [Martin], Trinity [Brooks], and Addie [Saunders] who kicked off that big inning in the fourth."
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 8, UVA Wise 2
The Eagles were quick to strike in the top of the first, as Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) reached on the game's opening hit, a single up the middle. Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) followed by reaching on an error, and Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) got C-N on the board on a three-run shot, giving the Eagles an early edge.
C-N was held scoreless in the second through the fourth by UVA Wise's Alivia Nolley, but Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) kept the Eagles' three-run lead intact with four scoreless frames, leaving the door open for C-N to add insurance to the lead.
The Eagles added much-needed insurance in the top of the fifth. Freshman Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) led off the frame with a double before Hayden Dye scored her with an RBI single to add to C-N's lead and get the Eagles back on the board for the first time since the first inning. C-N worked the bases loaded with back-to-back walks, and Santana Anderson (Fairmont, N.C.) saw seven pitches and walked home another run, extending C-N's lead to five. Syerra Rogers' at-bat generated the same result, capping off a three-run fifth inning.
Rogers continued her impressive outing after surrendering a leadoff single at the bottom of the fifth, retiring the next three Highland Cavaliers to keep C-N's six-run advantage and head to the sixth.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Macauley Bailey launched her second home run of the day, a two-run blast and career home run No. 42 to add to the C-N edge. Bailey's 13 home runs lead the Eagles, and her pair of blasts in game one brings C-N's season tally to 57, one away from matching the single-season home run record of 58 set in 2024.
"They felt really good," Bailey said. "My dad would be proud of me because he told me to wait on the outside pitch… It feels good to listen to him finally, and it turns out to be true."
Wise finally broke through in the bottom half of the sixth as Abigail Mills ripped a one-out RBI double to get the Highland Cavaliers on the board. However, there would be no further damage, as Rogers stranded the bases loaded to end the sixth.
C-N went scoreless in the top of the seventh, and Wise got some traffic on the basepaths in the bottom half, with two of the first three reaching. Mataya Ausmus scored one on an infield single, but Riley Sikes (Powell, Tenn.) retired the next two to end the game.
Syerra Rogers earned her 11th win, matching her season-high in strikeouts with eight for the third time in 2025. The senior allowed eight hits and just one earned run, keeping C-N's lead intact despite quiet middle innings from the offense. Riley Sikes came in for the final inning, allowing two hits and one earned run.
Alivia Nolley dealt 4.1 innings, dealing three scoreless, but a three-run first and two allowed in the fifth damaged her line. Nolley allowed five earned runs on eight hits, striking out three and walking four. Bayleigh Allison dealt the final 2.2 innings, allowing a pair of runs on one hit.
GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 8, UVA Wise 3
Wise jumped out to an early lead against freshman Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.), as Adyson Gibson led off the first with a single and immediately got into scoring position on a wild pitch. Lindsey Polan brought her in on an RBI single, giving Wise its first lead.
The two sides traded 1-2-3 frames in the second before C-N saw its first significant scoring opportunity in the top of the third. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) singled, and Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) walked with one away before Katey Mathena walked to load the bases. However, the Eagles stranded the tying run in scoring position on a groundout.
Wise loaded the bases in the bottom half of the third, and a deep fly out to left scored one to extend the lead to two. Another deep flyout ended the third inning, as Spradlin kept the Eagles within arms reach.
C-N did its damage in the fourth, completely flipping the script in the nightcap. Macauley Bailey reached on a walk, and Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) singled to create instant on the basepaths. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) loaded the bases with a single, and Abbi Martin knotted the game with a two-RBI single, drawing C-N even in the fourth.
The Eagles reloaded the bases on a Trinity Brooks bunt single, and a fielding error on a fielder's choice off the bat of Addie Saunders gave the Eagles the lead as Lucero came across to score, giving C-N a 3-2 edge. Katey Mathena extended the C-N lead with her first collegiate hit, scoring two on a bases-loaded two-RBI single, giving C-N its first multi-run advantage in the nightcap at 5-2.
"It was awesome," Mathena said. "I haven't played in a long time… To go up there and have the opportunity was really special… I'm really happy with how it turned out."
Hayden Dye added to the crooked number, ripping a two-RBI double to create five runs of separation, extending the lead to 7-2. Macauley Bailey scored one on an RBI groundout, capping the eight-run frame.
Spradlin retained the Eagle momentum, dealing back-to-back scoreless frames, including a 1-2-3 fourth, and allowed just one baserunner in the 5th. C-N went scoreless in the fifth and the sixth, and Wise got within five on a leadoff solo home run from Mallory McKnight. However, Spradlin set down the next three Highland Cavaliers, limiting the damage to one.
C-N went quiet in the seventh, and despite a one-out baserunner, Wise went scoreless in the bottom half as Spradlin secured C-N's first South Atlantic Conference road sweep of 2025.
The Eagles were held scoreless in six of the seven innings, but the eight-run fourth was plenty to overcome the early two-run deficit.
Lorelei Spradlin dealt the seventh complete game of her freshman season and her first since the nightcap at Shorter on February 24th. The freshman allowed six hits and three earned runs, striking out six.
Olivia Shockley is dealt the loss despite three scoreless innings, allowing six runs in the fourth and exiting the game with one out in the frame. Savannah Paul pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowing five hits.
The sweep puts C-N tied for third in the SAC, deadlocked with in-state rival No. 17 Tusculum.
C-N will be back in action on Tuesday at The Vick, welcoming Catawba to Mossy Creek for a pair of contests starting at 1 p.m.
For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball season, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
