C-N Clubs its Way to Victory over Tusculum, Gaining 1-0 Edge in SAC Opening Round
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (27-18, 13-11 SAC) used four home runs to pull away from Tusculum (37-16, 13-11 SAC) for a 10-6 win to open SAC Tournament play, gaining a 1-0 series edge in the best-of-three.
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VIDEO: Kennady Warder Interview
VIDEO: Macauley Bailey Interview
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (27-18, 13-11 SAC) used four home runs to pull away from Tusculum (37-16, 13-11 SAC) for a 10-6 win to open SAC Tournament play, gaining a 1-0 series edge in the best-of-three.
"We were pretty good today," head coach Michael Graves said. "Syerra [Rogers] did a good job of holding Tusculum at bay. It took a little while for the offense to get going… Hayden [Dye] kept telling me, 'It's okay, we're going to hit this', and Syerra held them for us and gave us a chance to get going."
Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) started her day with back-to-back punchouts, setting down Tusculum's top two hitters, Danielle Jason and Brooke Smith. Despite a two-out single from Ellie Alvarez, Rogers forced soft contact to end the frame.
C-N was the first to light the lamp in the bottom half with two outs, as Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) tied the career-RBI record with her 185th RBI on a solo home run to give the Eagles the early edge.
Rogers and Tusculum's Megan Ackerman traded scoreless frames until the fourth inning. Rogers retired the first two Pioneers with help from a highlight grab from Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.), but the next two reached on a walk and a Gabi Nicholson infield single. Ella Majchrzak delivered a game-tying RBI single, moving Nicholson to third. However, Rogers tallied a strikeout to end the frame and strand the go-ahead runner on third.
Carson-Newman had an answer in the bottom half, as Macauley Bailey ripped her second extra-base hit with a leadoff double to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Mari Robbins (Sweetwater, Tenn.) gave C-N the lead back on a two-run shot, her 12th of the year and the Eagles' second of the contest.
Tusculum showed fight again in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs following a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Abby Hunter delivered, ripping a two-RBI single to tie the game at three.
The Eagles worked back-to-back walks with one out in the bottom of the fifth, with Bailey being walked intentionally as Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) stepped in with runners on first and second. The senior delivered, mashing a three-run home run to give C-N its largest advantage at 6-3.
"It was knowing that I was doing it for the girls in the dugout cheering for me," Warder said. "Knowing that we have each other's backs no matter what happens, the person behind you will get the job done."
Later in the frame, Mari Robbins tallied her second hit of the day on a two-out single before Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) capped off the frame with a two-run home run, C-N's fourth of the game, to extend the lead to five.
The Pioneers cut into the deficit again with two outs in the frame, as Caylen Conrad left the yard on a two-out solo shot. Danielle Jason followed by poking one to left, and Trinity Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) laid out to try and make the grab, but the ball got by and trickled to the wall as Jason used her speed to touch them all for an inside-the-park home run to cut the deficit to three.
A pair of bunt singles got C-N going in the sixth, as Trinity Brooks laid one down the third base line for her second hit. Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) followed with a bunt single of her own, and a pair of errant throws allowed Brooks to score from first and push the C-N lead back to four.
With Saunders on third and one out, Macauley Bailey etched her name at the top of the record book with an RBI sac-fly, becoming Carson-Newman's all-time leader in RBI with the 186th of her career and stretching the lead to five.
"It means a lot," Bailey said. "I was trying to get the ball out of the infield because I knew I was close… It's just one of those things where you're like, 'Wow, that's really cool. '"
Tusculum notched back-to-back one-out hits in the seventh, putting runners on second and third. C-N traded an out for a run on a Gabi Nicholson RBI-groundout, and Syerra Rogers forced soft contact to rightfield to end the contest.
Rogers earned her 14th win in her third seven-inning complete game effort and her ninth overall, allowing six runs on ten hits while striking out six Pioneers. It's the second time in 2025 that Rogers recorded a complete game against Tusculum, also doing so in an 8-0 run-rule win on March 17th.
Tusculum's Megan Ackerman was dealt the loss, pitching 4.2 innings while allowing eight runs on ten hits, four of which were home runs. The lefty struck out seven Eagles before handing the ball to Natalie Spaitis, who dealt the final 1.1 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits.
The Eagles and Pioneers will square off in game two of the SAC Tournament opening round on Saturday at 1 p.m. The in-state foes will play game three if necessary around 3:30 p.m.
The games will be broadcast live at cneagles.com/FloSB with an audio-only stream at cneagles.com/live.
For updates throughout the Carson-Newman softball postseason, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
