C-N Overcomes Slow Start with Big Sixth Inning to Down Tusculum, Advancing to Next Round of SAC Tournament
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (28-18, 13-11 SAC) overcame a slow start offensively to down Tusculum (37-17, 13-11 SAC) in game two of the SAC Tournament opening round to punch its ticket to the next round, scoring five in the sixth to win 6-3.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 1 |
VIDEO: Macauley Bailey Interview
VIDEO: Addie Saunders Interview
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (28-18, 13-11 SAC) overcame a slow start offensively to down Tusculum (37-17, 13-11 SAC) in game two of the SAC Tournament opening round to punch its ticket to the next round, scoring five in the sixth to win 6-3.
"At one point, we had left eight runners on base, and it's frustrating," head coach Michael Graves said. "Tusculum did a really nice job pitching today… We struggled a little bit, but we got going. Macauley [Bailey] delivered in a big spot for us, and Addie [Saunders] was big today… I'm proud of the effort today."
Despite a pitcher's duel through five, both teams had opportunities to open the scoring. Serving as the road team in game two, C-N put a runner in scoring position in the top of the first after Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) singled on the game's first pitch, moving to second on a wild pitch with one out before Tusculum's Megan Ackerman retired the next two.
Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.) stranded a one-out Brooke Smith single in the bottom half, as Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) threw out Smith trying to steal second with some help from a nice tag by Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.).
Both sides put runners on first and second with one out in the second inning, but neither C-N nor Tusculum could light the lamp, keeping the game scoreless through two.
It was the same story in the third as C-N loaded the bases with two away but came away empty while Tusculum stranded two one-out baserunners as Spradlin and Ackerman entered the fourth without a blemish to their lines.
After a scoreless fourth inning for both sides and a quiet top of the fifth for C-N, Tusculum took its first lead of the weekend on an Ellie Alvarez two-out RBI single, giving the Pioneers a 1-0 edge after five.
However, C-N had a quick response in the top of the sixth. Brooklyn Lucero (Loma, Colo.) worked a one-out walk before Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) doubled off the leftfield wall to put runners on second and third with only one out.
Addie Saunders stepped in with two outs in the frame and popped one up right in front of the plate, and despite a full extension from Tusculum's Natalie Spaitis, she couldn't reel it in as the freshman tied the game with Lucero scoring from third.
"I was thinking 'Please just get down,'" Saunders said. "It worked. I scored the run, and we tied the game… I just stayed through and trusted myself and my teammates behind me."
Hayden Dye followed by working a two-out walk, bringing Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) to the plate to face Megan Ackerman, who was re-entered by Tusculum to face the slugging junior. Bailey gave Carson-Newman its first lead in a big way, launching a rocket over the leftfield wall for a grand slam, giving the Eagles a 5-1 advantage.
"I was pretty juiced when I entered the box," Bailey said. "My mindset was to hit the ball over the fence. The wind was blowing out, and I could see the flag moving… She had gotten me on inside pitches… I let two go past me, and I didn't swing at them, so I knew she would come back with that inside pitch, and I was sitting on it. I had a plan coming to the plate and executed it that time."
Tusculum wasted no time cutting into the deficit in the bottom of the sixth, as Sammy Jimenez doubled to lead off the frame before Abby Hunter singled up the middle to score Jimenez and slice the deficit to three. The Pioneers ripped two more singles with no one out, as C-N brought Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) in to face a bases-loaded jam. Rogers retired the next two Pioneers before a Danielle Jason RBI single, cutting the C-N lead to two. However, Rogers limited the damage to that, forcing Brooke Smith to line out to short.
C-N gave itself some cushion with two outs in the seventh, as Brooklyn Lucero doubled to right field before Abbi Martin brought her in on an RBI single to grow the lead back to three.
Despite a leadoff single, Rogers forced Sammy Jimenez to fly out before a groundball up the middle off the bat of Abby Hunter got a force out at second. Despite the throw being off line, Hunter made a turn for second, and Brooklyn Lucero applied the tag for an unorthodox game-ending double play.
Lorelei Spradlin dealt the first five innings, earning the eighth win of her freshman season, allowing three runs on ten hits. Syerra Rogers tallied her first save in 2025, allowing no runs on two hits.
Natalie Spaitis is dealt the loss, dealing 2.1 innings in relief, allowing four runs on two hits. Megan Ackerman pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three.
With the win, C-N advances to the next round of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament, heading to Wingate, North Carolina. The Eagles' opponent is to be decided.
For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball postseason, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
