A pair of extra-inning walk-offs propel Carson-Newman to a sweep of Mars Hill
In a crucial two-game set, RV Carson-Newman (29-8, 8-4 SAC) used late-game theatrics to take both games against Mars Hill (24-8, 5-3 SAC) on a Saturday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
|
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0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
VIDEO: Atiana Stamper Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - In a crucial two-game set, RV Carson-Newman (29-8, 8-4 SAC) used late-game theatrics to take both games against Mars Hill (24-8, 5-3 SAC) on a Saturday afternoon at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
The Eagles took both games in eight innings, 2-1, in game one as Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) scored on a throwing error, and then she delivered the winning hit in the second meeting, 5-4.
"I saw the ball really well in the second game. She was throwing me the same middle-out pitch, and as soon as I saw it, that was the pitch that I was hunting for. I wasn't looking for anything inside. I have a tendency to hit the ground ball to third base when it is an inside pitch in situations like this," Martin said. "So I was looking for that exact pitch on that middle out corner. It's the same pitch she threw me all game, and it's the same pitch I crushed all game."
After a .500 start through the first four doubleheaders in SAC play, C-N has won four straight in conference play and is now riding a seven-game winning streak dating back to last week. It also closes out a week where the Eagles played eight games, going 7-1 in that span. Head coach Michael Graves is pleased to see the close wins, but knows his team can be better.
"I'm just glad that we're on this end of it this time, because it seems like several of our losses have been when we've been in that situation, and it's not fun, but good wins," Graves said. "I don't think we necessarily played real good in game two, but that's two conference double headers in a row where I don't think we've played good in game two and still won both."
Game One: Carson-Newman 2, Mars Hill 1
The opening contest pitted two of the best arms in the South Atlantic Conference together. As advertised, it turned into a pitchers' duel between Atiana Stamper (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Camryn Akins.
Stamper got to work early with four strikeouts through the first two innings, and then her offense gave her the lead in the second, taking advantage of miscues by the Lions.
Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) started the inning by reaching on an error, made it to second on another error on a fielder's choice from Anne Marie Richards (Spring Hill, Tenn.), and a walk from Katey Mathena (Blacksburg, Va.) loaded the bases. It set the table for an RBI single from Reese Winchester (San Diego, Calif.), scoring Saunders, 1-0.
The two sides then traded scoreless frames for multiple innings. Mars Hill had a chance in the sixth with the tying run at third with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts from Stamper shut the door.
It wasn't until the seventh that the next run was scored, and it was better late than never for the Lions. With one away, in a full count, Bri Weimer muscled a home run to right through the wind, tying the game, 1-1. The Eagles went down in order in the bottom half, sending it to extras.
The freshman, Stamper, navigated the top of the eighth like a seasoned veteran. With the international base runner on, she got the three outs on a sacrifice bunt, a fly out to shallow left and then notched a backwards K for her 12th strikeout of the contest. It's the second time this season she has had a dozen punchouts.
"There's usually a lot of home runs or pop ups off of me," Stamper said. "So I just had to shake that off and come back, because I knew my team had my back and were gonna get that W."
In the bottom half, C-N put pressure on immediately as Grace Gregory (White House, Tenn.) reached on a fielder's choice and Martin advanced to third, helped by a third Mars Hill error. Then an infield single from Saunders induced the fourth and fatal error by the Lions as Weimer threw the ball away, allowing Martin to score, 2-1.
Game Two: Carson-Newman 5, Mars Hill 4
The other half of the twinbill saw the two offenses find early success, as Mars Hill drew first blood in the second.
Maia Sholter had a leadoff single and then scored on a triple from Sydney Hodges. A sacrifice fly from Leah Grimes pushed Hodges in, 2-0.
C-N trimmed the lead to one as Grace Gregory walked, and then a single from Addie Saunders put the first two on. A throwing error allowed Gregory to move to third, it was the fifth error of the day by the Lions. With runners on the corners, Sarah Walker (Mills River, N.C.) shot one through the right side to score Gregory, 2-1.
Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.) bounced back with a scoreless third as Kaliah Merritt (Wayne, W.V.) replaced her in the fourth.
The Eagles took their first lead of the game in the bottom half of the fourth as Walker and Katey Mathena (Blacksburg, Va.) reached to start the inning. An infield single from Malyiah Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) loaded the bases for a sacrifice fly from Abbi Martin, and then Mathena scored on a wild pitch, 3-2.
Mars Hill reclaimed the lead as a single from Bri Weimer drove in Riley Waters, which prompted the pitching change to Regan Rowan (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.). Weimer then scored a sac fly from Sholter, 4-3.
After taking a punch, C-N landed another in the sixth to level the game. Mathena got on with a leadoff single and moved up on a sac bunt from Shelby Armstrong (Knoxville, Tenn.). It set the table for a game-tying double from Smith down the right field line, 4-4. A pair of excellent defensive plays from the Lions kept Smith on the bases.
After a shutdown inning from Rowan, the Eagles had a chance to walk it off again. Gregory led off with a walk, but then her pinch runner, Bailee Worley (Black Mountain, N.C.), was caught stealing. The base-running miscue was followed by a Saunders backside double and an Anne Marie Richards walk, but the pair was left stranded, sending it to extras for the second time.
Rowan matched what Stamper did in game one, not allowing the go-ahead run to score from third in the top half.
In the bottom of the eighth, after a sacrifice bunt moved Mathena to third, an infield base hit from Smith put runners on the corners. It set the stage for Abbi Martin, who has been clutch time and time again. The senior came through once again as she sizzled a line drive to right, scoring Mathena, 5-4.
With the two wins, the Eagles have eclipsed last year's win total of 28, and get revenge on a Mars Hill team that swept them last season.
Carson-Newman now begins a six-game road swing across the next 18 days and will not play at home again until April 15th. It begins with a midweek trip to the Palmetto State to face Newberry (12-18, 3-7 SAC) on Wednesday. Fans can watch the game on FloSports with a subscription, listen to it on cneagles.com/live or watch the In The Booth feed on the Carson-Newman Eagle Sports Network YouTube channel.
