Lady Eagles split SAC finale with Brevard; Face Tusculum in SAC Tournament on Thursday

Brevard, N.C. - Carson-Newman's Bri Shoemake had an RBI double to lift the Lady Eagles to a 4-2 win in the opener and Brevard's Alyssa Miller (9-8) pitched a one-hit shutout in Game 2 as Carson-Newman and Brevard College split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader on Saturday in Brevard, N.C.

Carson-Newman improves to 29-20 on the year. Carson-Newman is the No. 4 seed in the 2012 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament and will face No. 5 Tusculum on Thursday at 10:30 in Greeneville, Tenn. Lenoir-Rhyne is the No. 1 seed and will face No. 8 Mars Hill on the Lady Eagles' side of the bracket.

Game One: Carson-Newman 4, Brevard 2 (9 inn.)
Kayla Clemens (14-14) and Shealy traded zeroes into the fifth inning, but the Eagles took advantage of a Brevard error in the top of the ninth to pull away and take game one from the Tornados.

Bri Shoemake opened the scoring in the game, driving in Shelby Robertson with a two-out double to left field to put the Eagles ahead, 1-0.

The Tornados rallied back in the seventh, tying the game in the bottom of the frame as Brevard took advantage of a throwing error by the C-N third baseman, allowing Miller to score from first base to send the game into extra innings.

The teams traded runs in the eighth as Sara Kelley drove in Robertson with a single to left field in the top of the inning, while Miller singled in Brittany Fowler to send the game into the ninth.

Clemens retired the first two batters in the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts, but Cassidy Skeen and Robertson followed with two straight walks to load the bases. Shoemake followed with a sharp grounder to the BC second baseman and the ball went through into the outfield, allowing Skeen and Shealy to score to put the Eagles up 4-2.

The Tornados were unable to mount a rally as the Eagles closed out the win.

Game Two: Brevard 1, Carson-Newman 0

Miller tossed a one-hitter, striking out four batters, and scored the winning run in holding Carson-Newman at bay as the Tornados recorded the split against the visitors.

Neither team mounted any type of offense until the seventh inning as Miller and Shealy traded zeroes on the scoreboard.

The Eagles threatened in the seventh, placing runners on the corners with two outs in the inning, but Miller retired the final hitter with a grounder up the middle to the BC shortstop to end the threat.

Carson-Newman appeared to be sending the game into extra innings after catching Mallory and Clemens in a double play, but Miller and Davenport kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles down the left field line. Boykin followed with the walk-off hit, hitting a line drive into left center, allowing Miller to cross the plate as the Tornados earned the split.

Shealy went the distance in both games for C-N to move to 29-20 on the season.

-C-N-