11E Rivalry against Tusculum lies ahead for Carson-Newman
No. 24 Carson-Newman (23-8, 4-4 SAC) heads into an 11E Rivalry clash with Tusculum (11-15, 1-5 SAC), trying to snap a streak of splits in conference play.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
VIDEO: In The Booth at Tusculum (Game 1)
VIDEO: In The Booth at Tusculum (Game 2)
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – No. 24 Carson-Newman (23-8, 4-4 SAC) heads into an 11E Rivalry clash with Tusculum (11-15, 1-5 SAC), trying to snap a streak of splits in conference play.
Most recently, the Eagles went toe-to-toe with Anderson on Saturday, as their comeback bid fell short in game one, before bouncing back with a 7-5 edge in game two thanks to clutch plays from Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) and Reagan Rowan (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.).
"Two very competitive games nearly came back in game one," said head coach Michael Graves. "I thought we fought well all day. We didn't quit. That first game, we got behind, three runs in the first, another run later, we're down 4-0. But you could tell that they were just trying to claw their way back into it."
It has been a tale of two games to start SAC play. In the losses, the Eagles have been outscored 19-12, while in the wins, they have a 34-9 edge on the scoreboard.
Offensively for C-N, a quartet of hitters are batting above .400 this season, led by star first baseman Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.). The senior is second in the SAC with a .485 average and leads the conference with 45 RBIs; she also has the second-most home runs on the team with four.
Bailey is tracking towards the top mark in SAC history with career RBIs. She holds the second-most all-time with 235, trailing only Anderson's Kayson Boatner (2019-23) with 239.
Malyiah Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) is second on the team with a .436 batting average and fifth in the conference. The freshman is 18-for-22 on stolen bases, the highest total in the SAC.
Meanwhile, sophomore Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) is third with an average of .424. The left fielder tallied three multi-hit games last week and was 8-for-12 at the dish, while working a pair of walks.
Finally, the aforementioned Martin is fourth on the team with a .412 batting average. The senior's career-best mark of 27 RBIs is second on the team. She is also third in the conference with 13 stolen bases.
In the circle, Atiana Stamper (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been a workhorse with seven complete games and has gone the distance in her last three starts. On the season, she is 7-3 overall, fourth in the SAC with a 2.26 ERA and fifth with 73 strikeouts. She is holding opponents to a .187 batting average.
As for the opposition, Tusculum opened SAC play with a win against Coker, but has since dropped its last five, and has lost its last three contests. Most recently, the Pioneers fell to UVA Wise over the weekend in a pair of two-run losses, 4-2 in the first game and 10-8 in the second.
Tusculum is happy to be back at home, as it has spent the last eight games on the road, going 2-6 in that swing. The Pioneers are 3-8 when away from home but are 6-4 at Red Edmonds Field this season.
As a team, they are batting .266, led by Ellie Alvarez and Ella Majchrzak. Alvarez leads the way with a .333 batting average, along with a home run and 10 RBIs the second-best mark on the team. Majchrzak has the highest total with 12 RBIs among the Pioneers and holds a .301 average through 26 games.
In the circle, Chelsey Stonesifer continues to be one of the top arms in the SAC this season. The junior is fifth with a 2.30 ERA, fourth in wins, as she holds a 9-5 record, second in strikeouts, 92, and tied for second with a pair of saves. She has eight complete games and has been named SAC Pitcher of the Week two times and TSWA Pitcher of the Week once.
Carson-Newman took all four meetings last season and has won the last five contests, including a sweep in the opening round of the SAC Tournament. Each meeting last season was played in Jefferson City, the last time at Tusculum ended in a split back in 2024. In the all-time series, the Eagles led it with a 54-18 record against the Pioneers.
The 11E Rivalry is set to begin with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Red Edmonds Field in Greenville, Tennessee. Fans can watch the game on FloSports with a subscription, can listen to the game on cneagles.com/live or watch the In The Booth feed on the Carson-Newman Eagle Sports Network YouTube channel.
