Eagles look to continue high-level situation hitting as SAC play begins
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Winners of five straight, Carson-Newman (5-1) looks to continue its strong work with runners on base when Mars Hill (2-3) arrives at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex for a noon doubleheader Wednesday.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 1 |
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3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 0 |
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Winners of five straight, Carson-Newman (5-1) looks to continue its strong work with runners on base when Mars Hill (2-3) arrives at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex for a noon doubleheader Wednesday.
Carson-Newman struggled with runners on base in its Saturday game against Lees-McRae, hitting 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. However, Sunday against Tiffin, the Eagles were 17-for-31 (.548) with runners in scoring position.
"They (Mars Hill) have a very good hitting team and a team that hits hard and swings for the fences," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We have to keep the good offensive mindset that we had over the weekend, especially from the game against Tiffin."
The Eagles won the first 44 games in the series' history before Mars Hill broke through with a doubleheader sweep at Ponder Field in 2009. Mars Hill has taken two of the last three from Carson-Newman. The Lions won their first ever game in Jefferson City with a 10-9 comeback win over the Eagles in 2018. Carson-Newman collected a pair of run-rule wins over the Lions last season.
Last year Shannon Smith and Haley Caldwell each were lights out against the Lions. Smith went 5-for-6 at the plate with three doubles and three RBI. Caldwell was 5-for-6 as well with a double and six driven in. KaraLynne Levi drove in five runs with a 4-for-6 day at the plate last year against Mars Hill.
Katie Eakes is 13th in the country with her .714 on-base percentage. Against Tiffin, she collected the first game with three walks by an Eagle since Lacie Rinus did it against Concord in 2018.
Leah Sohm is second in the SAC with her .583 batting average. She had a career-best three hit day her last time out against Tiffin. She rides a five-game reach base streak into the doubleheader.
Mars Hill is one of the conference's more dangerous teams on the base paths. The Lions have swiped the second most bases in the league (nine) on 10 attempts. Six different players have stolen a base for the Lions.
Sydney Craig leads that pack with six stolen bases. All three of her stolen bases came in a 10-8 Lions win to open the season over Maryvillle (Mo.).
With 20 punchouts, Lions pitcher Marissa Adame ranks 20th nationally and fourth in the SAC.
First pitch between the Eagles and Lions is set for noon Wednesday. Coverage of the contests will be available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live.
