Lady Eagles open SAC play with a pair of losses at Catawba

SALISBURY, NC -- Catawba swept a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader from visiting Carson-Newman on Saturday afternoon at Whitley Field.  The Catawba Indians improved to 19-9 overall and 3-1 in the SAC, winning by the scores of 5-4 and 6-1.  The Lady Eagles fall to 15-9 and 0-2.

Emily B. Huneycutt (Locust, NC/W. Stanly HS) and Brittany Murray (Asheboro, NC/E. Randolph HS) pitched Catawba to the wins.  Huneycutt improved to 10-2 as she won the opener, allowing three earned runs off eight hits.  Murray allowed just a single run off five hits to up her mark to 6-7 with the game two win.

Amanda Terry's (Cordova, NC/Richmond Senior HS) one-out single in the seventh snapped a 3-3 tie to give Catawba the lead in the opener.  Mollie Kovalcin (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe HS) opened the frame with a triple on a fly ball to right that was lost in the sun.  Michaela Boyd (Concord, NC/NW Cabarrus HS) doubled home Terry with two outs for a much needed insurance run.

Carson-Newman got a run back in the seventh on a single by Bethany Davis (Nicholasville, KY) and had the tying run at second with two outs.  Huneycutt got Kim Whaley (Maryville, TN) to line out to left to end the game.

Catawba scored on wild pitches in each of the first two innings.  Carson-Newman got a solo homer from Davis and sacrifice fly from Cassidy Skeen (Powell, TN) in the second.  The Eagles took the lead in the fifth on a ground out by Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, TN), but Catawba answered right back, scoring on a fly ball from Alicia Stiles (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area HS) that was also misplayed in right field into the sun.

Terry and Tara Gibbs (Waynesville, NC/Tuscola HS) each had two hits for Catawba in the opener.  Terry and Kovalcin both scored twice.  Davis, Skeen and Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, TN) all collected two hits for the Eagles. 

Catawba rapped out nine hits in game two en route to the sweep.  Mary Shealy (Clinton, SC) gave Carson-Newman an early lead with single in the first, but Kelsey Burgess (Charlotte, NC/Gaston Christian HS/N. Greenville) erased the deficit with a two-out solo home run in the Catawba first.

Terry gave the Lady Indians the lead with a two-out, two-run single in the second.  Alli Justice (Bishopville, NC/Decatur HS) doubled to start the fourth for Catawba and scored on a double by Murray.  Kovalcin plated Murray with a single for a 5-1 edge.  Emily D. Huneycutt (Oakboro, NC/W. Stanly HS) capped the scoring with a homer in the sixth.

Kovalcin collected three hits for Catawba in the nightcap.  Justice added two.  Murray scored twice and Terry had the two RBI.

Carson-Newman returns to action on Sunday against Belmont Abbey in Belmont, N.C. First pitch is at 1 p.m.

(Courtesy Catawba Sports Information)