Lady Eagles split SAC doubleheader with Wingate

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles hit four home runs in the opener and Wingate answered with a pair home runs in Game 2 as the two teams split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Lady Eagles' Softball Complex. C-N won Game 1 in six innings, 8-0, while Wingate held off C-N for a 3-2 win in Game 2.

Carson-Newman moves to 19-11 on the season and 2-4 in SAC play, while Wingate is now 18-14 and 2-2 in the league.

Game 1 – Carson-Newman 8, Wingate 0 (6 inn.)

Carson-Newman hit four home runs and starter Mary Shealy held the Bulldogs to only two singles as C-N rolled in Game 1, 8-0.

Sophomore Sara Kelley ripped a solo home run to centerfield on the second pitch of the bottom of the sixth to give seal the win, but the Lady Eagles attacked offensively throughout.

C-N finished with 14 hits and started the game in the same fashion it ended it, with a home run.

Carson-Newman jumped to a quick 1-0 lead as Cassidy Skeen led off the C-N first with an inside-the-park home run. The senior skipped a line past a drawn-in outfield for her third home run of the season.

C-N added to its lead in the third as Bri Shoemake ripped a line drive into the trees in left center to make it 2-0.

Senior Kim Whaley joined the act in the fifth lifting a two-run home run to center field to extend the C-N lead to 7-0.

While C-N put together a complete game, Shealy only needed a little help. She struck out eight and faced only two over the minimum improving to 19-10 on the year.

Sophomore Caitlyn Lance led the balanced effort with a 3-for-4 day. Shoemake added two hits and three RBIs. She also had a two-run double in the fourth.

Wingate's Brittany Loudermilt and Haley Whitley each had a single for Wingate.

Game 2 – Wingate 3, Carson-Newman 2

Wingate's Betsy Braswell and Alexis Burrell each hit solo home runs and Kelsey Maffucci held Carson-Newman to five hits and two earned runs in her first start of the year as Wingate held off a few late-inning threats by C-N to earn a split with a 3-2 win.

Carson-Newman stranded runners in every inning and left 12 on-base for the game as Wingate found a way to cool the C-N bats.

Wingate took advantage of a C-N error to score in the top of the first. Brittany Loudermilt's two-out single handcuffed C-N right fielder Kim Whaley and bounced into the corner allowing Betsy Braswell to score the game's first run. Braswell reached on a two-out single.  

Braswell built the lead to 2-0 in the third with a solo home run to right field.

Wingate scored in the same fashion two innings later as Alexis Burrell led off the inning with a solo shot into the trees in right field.

Maffucci kept the Lady Eagles off balance and held C-N to two runs despite walking six. C-N could not come up with the big hit.

C-N loaded the bases in fourth inning, but Maffucci worked out of the jam getting Skeen to pop out to third.

The Lady Eagles threatened in the sixth as Bri Shoemake had an RBI on an infield single, but Lance struck out with runners on the corners as Paul worked out of trouble.

Maffucci (WP, 1-0) picks up the win in her first start of the year. Paul, who took the loss in Game 1, came on to pick up her first save of the year.

Braswell was 2-for-4 to lead the Bulldogs, scoring two of her teams three runs.

Whaley was 2-for-3 to lead C-N.

Carson-Newman returns to action on Monday against Augusta State (Ga.) in Augusta, Ga.

-C-N-