C-N caps sweep of TU with biggest comeback in school history
April 11, 2023

C-N caps sweep of TU with biggest comeback in school history

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Down seven runs with nine outs remaining, Carson-Newman (27-9, 12-6 South Atlantic Conference) pulled off a rally for the ages for force extra innings and then win in walkoff fashion to pull off a sweep of rival Tusculum (20-23, 6-14 SAC) Tuesday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex. 

VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview

VIDEO: Highlights

VIDEO: Syerra Rogers Interview

VIDEO: Macey Hughes Interview 

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Down seven runs with nine outs remaining, Carson-Newman (27-9, 12-6 South Atlantic Conference) pulled off a rally for the ages for force extra innings and then win in walkoff fashion to pull off a sweep of rival Tusculum (20-23, 6-14 SAC) Tuesday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex. 

Carson-Newman prevailed comfortably in game one 7-3 before the dramatic 13-12, eight-inning triumph in the night cap. 

"We never quit," Carson-Newman head softball coach Michael Graves said. "We always thought we could get there if we kept holding them close on defense. We took it batter by batter and it started to click there in the fifth inning.  That light switch really flicked and we found it. I think it really started when Carmen Holt, Mary Vandergriff and Abbi Martin started finding ways to get on base.  They owned the zone and were instrumental in getting us started."

Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) guided Carson-Newman in the circle. She picked up two wins, one in a start, one in relief.  She fired 219 pitches and struck out 14 batters between the two games, including 10 in game one. 

"She had a lot of heart today," Graves said. "When she gets on the mound, she wants to perform. She was exceptional in game one.  In game two, she came in in a tough situation and kept going and going and going.  That's all I can ask of her."

Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) led C-N at the plate. She drove in eight runs and had five hits in eight trips.  She tallied two doubles and a game-tying grand slam.  Her 22nd career home run moved her into a tie for ninth on the career home runs list with Elayna Siebert. 

Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) walked six times and homered twice in extending her hitting streak to 18 games, tied with Abby Fiessinger for the fourth-longest in school history and the longest by a freshman. 

GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 7, Tusculum 3

Carson-Newman blasted off to grab a lead in the first. SieAnna Cameron (Alcoa, Tenn.) led off the game with a bloop double to left center.  After a fielder's choice, Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) clobbered a 3-2 pitch off the foul pole along the left field line for her 11th home run of the season. That set the record for most home runs in a season for C-N by a freshman and gave C-N a 2-0 lead. 

Tusculum countered in the top of the second.  With two out, Hayley Lazo nipped a bloop single to center. Chloe Freischmidt followed by tanking a 1-2 pitch to left center to level the score at 2-2.

The Eagles responded in the bottom of the second.  Back-to-back one-out singles from Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) and Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) gave the Eagles a pair of base runners. After a groundout moved the duo into scoring position, Macey Hughes (Corryton, Tenn.) roped a ball off the third baseman to plate Martin and give C-N a 3-2 lead. 

Carson-Newman reconnected with its offense in the fifth.  After a leadoff walk to Bailey, Alaina Smith (Lebanon, Tenn.) came in to pinch run.  She stole second before the Eagles struck out twice. With two out, Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.) lofted a routine pop up down the right field line. Neither right fielder nor second baseman took charge and the ball landed, and skipped for down into the corner to plate Smith.  Carmen Holt (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) followed with a ripper to right center for a three-base hit. The back-to-back triples gave C-N a 5-2 lead through five. 

Tusculum answered with a run in the sixth.  Kallyn Newport led of the inning with a double before stealing third.  After a strikeout, Sammy Jimenez hit an in-betweener to short.  Jimenez beat the throw to score Newport and pull TU within two, 5-3. 

The Eagles re-extended the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) started the inning with a walk.  She moved to third on a bouncing ball down the rightfield line from Cameron.  Cameron then stole second.  The duo scored on a Hughes double over the head of the leftfielder to stretch the lead to a game-high four runs, 7-3.   

Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) locked up the win to improve to 6-2.  She struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter.  Rogers scattered four hits and gave up three runs, all earned. 

Emily Sappington took the loss for TU to fall to 8-11. She pitched 5.0 innings and gave up nine hits with five runs, all earned. 

GAME TWO: Carson-Newman 13, Tusculum 12 (eight innings)

The Pioneers lit the lamp first in game two without a hit. Newport and Jimenez walked to start the game before moving into scoring position on a Hayley Lazo sacrifice.  A batter later, Claire Smeltzer bounced a ball to second.  Holt came home and couldn't get the lead runner, but her throw caromed off Warder's mitt and toward the Tusculum dugout, that allowed Jimenez to score on the E2. The play gave TU a 2-0 lead after the opening half inning. 

Carson-Newman answered in the bottom of the first with the long ball. Cameron led off the inning with a scorcher to left center.  After a pop up, Bailey tanked the first pitch she saw into the bushes on the soccer field in left center.  That leveled things up 2-2. 

The Pioneers hung a four spot in the top of the second.  TU loaded the bases without an out before bases-loaded walks to Newport and Lazo brought in the first two runs.  A Smeltzer fielder's choice to second scored the third before a throwing error at short produced the fourth run of the inning and a 6-2 TU lead. 

TU added three more in the fourth off a wild pitch and a two-RBI double to left from Freischmidt to stretch the lead to 9-2. 

Then, the comeback started for the Eagles.  It started in the bottom of the fifth with a Mary Vandergriff (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) single to  right and a Cameron double to right center.  After a pop up, a walk to Bailey loaded the bases. 

Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange, Conn.) took advantage with a BB into left center. The two-base hit scored two. Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) plated the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to pull C-N within grand slam range, 9-5. 

The long ball delivered C-N even with the Pioneers in the bottom of the sixth.  Holt and Martin walked to start the inning.  After a line out, Cameron loaded the bases with a single slashed to left. 

Hughes took advantage, roping a 1-1 pitch out to left.  The grand slam tied the game 9-9. 

Tusculum went back in front in the eighth.  After a lineout on a bunt on a failed sacrifice, Lazo clobbered a double to left center to bring in the international-rule runner. Smeltzer followed with a home run to right to pull the Pioneers ahead 12-9.

C-N wasted no time in responding.  Vandergriff plated the international rule runner for C-N with a single to left.  Cameron followed with her fourth hit of the day before Hughes drove in the second run of the inning with a base hit back up the box to pull the Eagles within a run.  

A walk to Bailey loaded the bases with no one out. Matysovsky took advantage, tying the game with a sacrifice fly into the right center alleyway.

The Pioneers walked Warder on four pitches to reload the bases and set the table for Dye. She sent a soft flare down the rightfield line.  With dual sport track star Brooke Taylor on third, the fleet-of-foot runner tagged and beat a throw up the line to plate the winning run and walk off the Pioneers. 

Rogers got the win in relief to improve to 7-2. She pitched the final six innings, giving up six hits and six runs, four of which were earned.  She struck out three and walked four. 

Ireland Cavanaugh took the loss for Tusculum to fall to 9-8.  She faced all but two batters, giving up 13 hits and 11 runs, 10 of which were earned. 

Carson-Newman wraps up its home schedule Saturday at 1 p.m. against Emory & Henry. Coverage is available on the Eagle Sports Network at cneagles.com/live. A video stream is available with a subscription to FloSports at cneagles.com/floSB. 

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