No. 19 Carson-Newman trips up in walk-off loss in game one, before run-ruling LMU in game two
HARROGATE, Tenn. – It was an eventful first road trip in South Atlantic Conference play for No. 19 Carson-Newman (21-6, 2-2) as it split its Saturday doubleheader against Lincoln Memorial (9-15, 1-3). An obstruction call gift-wrapped the Railsplitters a win in game one, 2-1, which sparked debate from head Michael Graves, before the Eagles responded with a dominant 12-2 run-rule victory in the second game.
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
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0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
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VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Grace Gregory Interview
HARROGATE, Tenn. – It was an eventful first road trip in South Atlantic Conference play for No. 19 Carson-Newman (21-6, 2-2) as it split its Saturday doubleheader against Lincoln Memorial (9-15, 1-3). An obstruction call gift-wrapped the Railsplitters a win in game one, 2-1, which sparked debate from head Michael Graves, before the Eagles responded with a dominant 12-2 run-rule victory in the second game.
"I liked the way we played, and that's the way we should play, but we didn't do that in game one and didn't do that in game one when we got beat the other day," Graves said. "We've got to figure out how to come out and start the day like that and keep it going for two games straight."
C-N is now off to a 2-2 start in conference play, after they split the two games against UVA Wise during the midweek opener.
Lincoln Memorial 2, No. 19 Carson-Newman 1
The Eagles jump-started the first game with a run in the first inning, as Malyiah Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled and moved to third after back-to-back groundouts. A walk from Grace Gregory (White House, Tenn.) put runners on the corners as Anne Marie Richards (Spring Hill, Tenn.) singled, scoring Smith, 1-0.
That was all C-N would get as the two sides would trade scoreless frames back-and-forth until the seventh inning.
Lincoln Memorial had the best chances in the fourth and the sixth with the bases loaded. However, strong pitching from Atiana Stamper (Knoxville, Tenn.) turned the Railsplitters away empty-handed on both occasions.
In the bottom of the seventh, after Gracie Palmer led off with a single, Hannah McMeen was down to her last strike with two away, before ripping a double into left center as Palmer raced home, sending it to extras, 1-1.
C-N was in position to take the lead in the eighth, but Smith was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice. Then in the ninth, the go-ahead run was left stranded on third, giving another chance for LMU.
The Railsplitters broke through in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Palmer. Carson-Newman thought it had gotten an inning-ending double play on a strong throw from Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.), but obstruction was called against Anne Marie Richards, allowing Cassidy Hack to score the winning run, 2-1.
"I don't want to take away anything from Lincoln Memorial, they put up a good fight," Graves said. "We had plenty of opportunities to win that game or at least put it away early, but then to lose it the way we did is totally unfair to the kids."
No. 19 Carson-Newman 12, Lincoln Memorial 2
After the late comeback and eventual win by LMU, Carson-Newman responded with vengeance in the second game. Following a 1-2-3 inning from Lacey Keck (Knoxville, Tenn.), it came in a big way with an eight-run second frame.
Grace Gregory started the inning; she just missed a home run on her first swing and then straightened it out on the next offering for her third long ball of the season. Then a double from Anne Marie Richards and a single from Sarah Walker put runners on the corners. Back-to-back RBI singles from Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) and Reese Winchester (San Diego, Calif.) extended the lead, 3-0.
A passed ball moved the pair into scoring position, and a single from Malyiah Smith loaded the bases. Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) delivered with a two-run single. After a walk from Macauley Bailey juiced the bases, Gregory reached via a free pass to drive in another and Walker tacked on two more with a single, 8-0. The Eagles closed the inning with eight runs on eight hits.
The Railsplitters cut into the lead with a pair in the third, first a double from Kristin Griffin, and then a single from Hanna Bogoski. Keck's day came to an end after 2.2 innings, allowing the two runs on three hits, she notched two strikeouts.
The Eagles posted four more in the fifth. It began with three consecutive base hits, first from Katey Mathena (Blacksburg, Va.) and Saunders, before Shelby Armstrong (Knoxville, Tenn.) drove both in. Following Martin's double that put two in scoring position, a double by Bailey plated both Martin and Armstrong, 12-2.
C-N picked up the run-rule victory as Lorelei Spraldin (Blacksburg, Va.) put LMU down in order, closing the fifth. Spraldin retired the last seven batters she faced, allowing just one hit on the first batter she faced in 2.1 innings of shutout ball.
Bailey increased her career total in RBIs to 231 as she continues to close in on the top spots in SAC history. She'll have a chance to do it next week with four games at home.
Carson-Newman will be back at home on March 18th against Wingate. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. against the Highland Cavaliers from the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex. Both games can be seen on FloSports, heard on cneagles.com/live, or watched as the radio crew operates from the press box on the Carson-Newman Eagle Sports Network YouTube channel.
