Lady Eagles shut out Bellarmine in doubleheader sweep
Feb. 15, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman softball team swept Bellarmine University Sunday afternoon in a doubleheader at the Lady Eagles Softball Complex, winning 8-0 in six innings and 7-0.
The Lady Eagles improve to 7-1 on the season, while Bellarmine falls to 0-2.
C-N had a productive day at the plate, pounding out 27 hits, while the Knights managed just six.
"(Hitting) is one thing that we really talked about because we won a game the other day 4-3 against North Greenville with two hits," C-N coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "It was nice to see our bats come alive."
Lady Eagles starting pitcher Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) was the reason behind Bellarmine's struggles. Shealy (6-1) pitched a pair of complete game shutouts to earn the win in both contests. The freshman hurler allowed just two hits and struck out six in six innings on the mound in the opener. Shealy then gave up four hits and had six strikeouts in game two.
In the first game, C-N first baseman Sarah Little (Calhoun, Ga.) produced three hits and three RBI to lead the Lady Eagles to an 8-0 victory. Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) also had three hits and scored three times, while Shealy, Whitney Kee (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Whitney Durham (Rossville, Ga.) finished with two hits each.
Bellarmine starting pitcher Casey Willard (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering eight runs on 14 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.
The Lady Eagles provided Shealy with all the run support she would need in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs on four hits. Howard led off the inning with a single and later scored on a Shealy double. Sarah Little then ripped a triple to right field, driving in Shealy to give C-N a 2-0 lead. Amber Palmer (Kennesaw, Ga.) came through with a single to drive in the final run of the inning.
C-N added a pair of runs in the home half of the second on a RBI single by Howard and a run-scoring bunt single by Amber Hewitt (Ringgold, Ga.) to push the Lady Eagles' lead to 5-0.
The Knights produced their first hit of the day off Shealy in the top of the fifth inning but were unable to manufacture any runs.
The Lady Eagles put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Little delivered a two-run single to give C-N a 7-0 lead.
Kee ripped a two-out single to left field in the bottom of the sixth inning, driving in pinch runner Laura Potts (Dandridge, Tenn.) to end the game via the eight-run rule.
In game two, C-N finished with 13 hits and won 7-0 behind three hits from Palmer. Shealy added two hits and two RBI and Little had two hits.
Katie Wolsiefer led Bellarmine with three hits.
Bellarmine starting pitcher Amanda Meyer (0-1) allowed seven runs on 13 hits in six innings of work to pick up the loss.
Shealy produced a RBI single and Kee drove in a run with a double in the bottom of the first inning to give C-N a 2-0 lead.
C-N pushed its lead to 3-0 in the home half of the third inning on a run-scoring triple by Brianne Coon (Orlando, Fla.).
After being held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the Lady Eagles exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away. Hewitt, Shealy and Little each drove in a run in the inning, and Little scored the final run on a Bellarmine error.
C-N returns to action on Saturday, February 21 in a doubleheader at Erskine. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Due West, S.C.
