Eagles take flight for Saturday doubleheader with Pfeiffer
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (2-0) softball rides a 14-inning shutout streak to start the season into its Saturday home opener with Pfeiffer (3-1). The Eagles swept a doubleheader from Belmont Abbey to start the season 22-0 while Pfeiffer has taken two from Winston Salem State and split with UNC Pembroke. The Falcons lone loss came in a 1-0 defeat in the first game of a doubleheader with the Braves.
The Falcons lone loss came in a 1-0 defeat in the first game of a doubleheader with the Braves.
Carson-Newman swept a doubleheader last year with the Falcons 12-2 and 10-2, but C-N head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield acknowledges that 2013 is much different from 2012.
"We don't have a lot to base on, but they're always going to be steady defensively," Carson-Newman head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "They've got a couple slappers in the lineup that we'll have to worry about defensively. My biggest philosophy with softball is that we have to get that first out."
Jaclyn Boever leads the Falcons in hits with seven and her .500 batting average is tops on the team by 45 points. The Eagles received solid production offensively from Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.), who has reached base seven of the eight times she's come to the plate. Eight of the players who have started games for C-N are batting better than .285.
"We've got to take care of our business," Kazee-Hollifield said. "We came out swinging the bats really aggressively last time out. We'll always be disciplined, but we can't be taking pitches off regardless of who our opponent is."
Second team all-SAC first baseman Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.) has rapped six hits through her eight at bats to go along with four RBI through the first two games. Sara Kelley (Ooltewah, Tenn.) is one of two Eagles with a home run.
"With so many games that they've played, we want them to lead the pack," Kazee-Hollifield said. "We need big things out of several other kids; it's just about swinging the bat effectively."
The Eagles and Pfeiffer get cracking at 1 p.m. Saturday from the Lady Eagle Softball Complex. Will Myer will make his play-by-play debut for softball on the Coca-Cola Eagle Sports Network on cneagles.com.
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