Lady Eagles Open Mid-South Classic with Wins over Georgia College, East Stroudsburg

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Carson-Newman softball team picked up a pair of wins on Friday in the Mid-South Classic, as the Lady Eagles opened the day with a 6-1 victory over Georgia College before defeating East Stroudsburg, 2-1, in eight innings in the nightcap.

With the wins, C-N improves to 12-2 on the season. Georgia College falls to 8-13 overall, while East Stroudsburg drops to 1-5.

In the first game, starting pitcher Ashley Boyd (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led the Lady Eagles to a 6-1 victory with her arm and her bat.

Boyd (7-0) earned the win in the circle after giving up one run and four hits and striking out three batters in seven innings of work. She also drove in the decisive runs in the third inning with the game tied at 1-1 as she launched a two-run home run to left field.

Boyd finished the contest with a pair of hits and three RBIs, while Whitney Kee (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Kim Whaley (Maryville, Tenn.) added two hits apiece in the win.

Georgia College starting hurler Haley Burnett (5-7) was tagged with the loss. Burnett surrendered three runs on four hits and walked three batters in 2 1/3 innings of work.

In game two, Whaley came through in the clutch for the Lady Eagles as she delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning that drove in Ashlee Dillard (Roanoke, Va.) for the winning run.

Sophomore Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) turned in a stellar effort in the circle to pick up the win. Shealy (4-2) worked all eight innings, gave up just two hits and struck out six batters.

The Lady Eagles return to action in the Mid-South Classic on Saturday, as they will face Coker at 10 a.m. before closing out the day against Fairmont State at 2 p.m.