Lady Eagles split at Columbus State, 8-7 and 5-2
March 12, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles rebounded from a game one collapse to grab a split a softball doubleheader with Columbus State University on Thursday afternoon in Columbus, Ga. C-N dropped the first game 8-7, before winning the nightcap, 5-2.
With the split, the Lady Eagles move to 14-6 on the year, while Columbus State is now 18-17.
Freshman Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) belted a two-run homer and sophomore Brittany Linton (Marietta, Ga.) went the distance for her second win of the year (WP, 2-1) as C-N took game two, but the day could have been a sweep.
The Lady Eagles sprinted to a 6-1 lead in the opener on the strength of a six-run second inning, but the Cougars rallied with a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings, before getting three runs across in the seventh for the win.
Junior Sara Little (Calhoun, Ga.) hit her third home run in the fourth to give the Lady Eagles a 7-3 lead at the time, but Shealy (LP, 11-4) would allow nine walks as CSU rallied for the win. Columbus State also hit a pair of home runs in the opener.
Linton , C-N's game-two starter, would strike out four and scatter eight hits to get the win in just her second start of the season. The Marietta, Ga. native surrendered a pair of doubles and just three walks to carry C-N.
Shealy would get her revenge at the plate, ripping a second-inning offering from Jennifer Isasi over the left field fence to plating herself and Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.), who had doubled.
C-N pushed its lead to 4-0 in fourth as Howard and Whitney Durham (Rossville, Ga.) delivered RBI singles to give Linton all the run support she would need.
Durham finished the day with four hits and two RBIs to lead C-N.
The Lady Eagles head to St. Petersburg, Fla. on Monday to face Eckerd College. First pitch is at noon.
-C-N-
