Shealy No-Hits Lees-McRae in Lady Eagles’ sweep
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman pitcher Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) fired C-N’s first no-hitter in three seasons as the Lady Eagles swept visiting Lees-McRae College on Monday afternoon at the C-N Softball Complex. C-N won the opener, 2-1, and grabbed an 8-0 win in Game 2. The no-hitter is the first for C-N, and for Shealy, since 2009. She shut out Brevard with another five inning no-hitter during her freshman season, which was also an 8-0 final.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman pitcher Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) fired C-N's first no-hitter in three seasons as the Lady Eagles swept visiting Lees-McRae College on Monday afternoon at the C-N Softball Complex. C-N won the opener, 2-1, and grabbed an 8-0 win in Game 2.
The no-hitter is the first for C-N, and for Shealy, since 2009. She shut out Brevard with another five inning no-hitter during her freshman season, which was also an 8-0 final.
The no-hitter is the second of Shealy's career.
With the sweep, C-N improves to 10-4 on the year. Lees-McRae falls to 4-5.
Game 1 – Carson-Newman 2, Lees-McRae 1
Carson-Newman's Caitlyn Lance delivered a one-out single to tie the game and Shelby Robertson scored on a wild pitch as C-N rallied with a two-run sixth inning to beat the Bobcats in the opener, 2-1.
C-N left 11 runners on base through five innings, but finally broke through in the decisive sixth.
Lance's one-out line drive to centerfield scored Cassidy Skeen. Lance now has a team-high 13 RBIs on the season.
Skeen drew a leadoff walk to start the comeback.
Robertson would race home two pitches later on a wild pitch to give the Lady Eagles a 2-1 lead.
Shealy overcame an infield single in the seventh to pick up the first of her two wins on the day.
It took a while for both teams to get started offensively, through neither was without its share of opportunities.
Both teams threatened in a scoreless first. Shealy struck out Lees-McRae's Kristen Oakes and squeezed a line drive from Lori Fulmer to record the final two outs and to work out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam.
The Lady Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the first, but LMC starter Laurel Gregg got C-N's Sara Kelley to ground out to third base to end the threat.
The Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the third as Karli Robb walked and scored on an infield single. Robb advanced on a walk and a wild pitch as Shealy pitched herself into a hole.
For the game, C-N left 13 runners on base. Lees-McRae left nine.
Shealy overcame four walks and six hits with seven strikeouts in the win.
Game 2 – Carson-Newman 8, Lees-McRae 0 (5 inn.)
Shealy walked three and struck out four to fire the second no-hitter of her career.
The C-N senior right-hander overpowered Lees-McRae as her team took advantage of the mistake-prone Bobcats.
The Lady Eagles grabbed an early 1-0 lead as Kim Whaley ripped her sixth double of the season into the gap in left center. She would score on a sacrifice bunt from Jessica Morgan and a passed ball by Bobcats' catcher Amanda Decker.
Carson-Newman, with a little Lees-McRae help, blew the game open in the third.
Senior Cassidy Skeen picked up her second inside-the-park home run of the season to lead off the inning. Her line drive caught the edge of the outfield grass and bounced over the head of Bobcat right fielder Brooke Sheridan and rolled to the fence, allowing Skeen to circle the bases.
C-N took advantage of three errors in the inning to build a 6-0 lead. Kelley and Cassie Elliott each had singles to keep the at-bat rolling.
The Lady Eagles ended the game in the bottom of the fifth as Whaley rapped her second single of the game and catcher Bri Shoemake ended the game on an two-run single she roped through the glove of Bobcats' shortstop Lori Fulmer.
Shealy allowed four baserunners, three walks and a third-inning error on third baseman Sara Kelley.
Whaley led the Lady Eagles with a 3-for-5 afternoon. Shoemake and Lance each added two RBIs.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Thursday at King College in Bristol, Tenn. First pitch is at 1:30 p.m.
