Lady Eagles tally four home runs in sweep of Newberry, 9-3 and 4-1
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman softball team hit four home runs, including a grand slam by junior Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.), en route to a sweep of Newberry College on Senior Day on Saturday in South Atlantic Conference action at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The Carson-Newman softball team hit four home runs, including a grand slam by junior Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.), en route to a sweep of Newberry College on Senior Day on Saturday in South Atlantic Conference action at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.
The Lady Eagles tallied three home runs in the first game on their way to a 9-3 victory. C-N claimed the nightcap, 4-1.
With the sweep, C-N improves to 33-12-1 overall and 11-3 in the conference. Newberry falls to 15-24 on the season and 2-10 in SAC play.
In the first game, the Lady Eagles pounded out 10 hits, including three home runs, to cruise to a 9-3 victory over the Wolves.
Shealy contributed a grand slam for the Lady Eagles, while senior Whitney Kee (Knoxville, Tenn.) and freshman Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.) each went 2-for-4 with a home run. Junior Kim Whaley (Maryville, Tenn.) added a double and two RBIs.
Felicia Taylor (Venice, Fla.) and Amber Holley (Aiken, S.C.) each contributed a double for Newberry, while Codi Kelley (New River, Ariz.) and Richelle Mirabal (Tampa, Fla.) finished with a hit and a RBI apiece.
Shealy also picked up the win in the circle. Shealy gave up two earned runs and five hits and struck out four batters in seven innings of work.
Taylor (8-12) was tagged with the loss after surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits in six innings in the circle. She also had six strikeouts on the day.
Kee delivered for the Lady Eagles early as she sent a solo home run to left center in the first inning to give C-N a 1-0 lead.
The Wolves battled back to take the lead in the third. Chelsie Hilbourn (Loris, S.C.) got things started with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at 1-1. Taylor then doubled, and Mirabal followed with a single up the middle to drive in Taylor to give Newberry a 2-1 lead.
Newberry added to its lead in the fourth, as Monica Buccellato (Martinez, Calif.) reached on a fielding error and later scored when Kelly lined a single to right field.
Lance delivered her first career home run, a solo blast to left field, to trim the Wolves' lead to 3-2 in the home half of the fourth.
The Lady Eagles regained the lead in the fifth with a three-run outburst. Whaley came through with a two-run double in the inning, and Kelley drove in a run with a double to left field to give C-N a 5-3 advantage.
Shealy helped C-N put the game out of reach in the sixth as she delivered a grand slam, her 10th home run of the year, to give the Lady Eagles a 9-3 cushion.
In the second game, Shealy had a stellar outing in the circle, and sophomore catcher Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) produced C-N's fourth home run of the day to help the Lady Eagles claim a 4-1 victory.
Shealy (30-10) allowed one run and six hits and fanned five batters to pick up the win.
The Lady Eagles collected eight hits for the game, as senior Leah Price (Spring City, Tenn.) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the way. Shoemake had a home run, while Kee added a hit and drove in a run.
Newberry tallied six hits, including a 3-for-3 effort from first baseman Allison Lovelace (Columbia, S.C.). Kelly had a double in the loss.
Wolves starting hurler Shelley Jeffcoat (Lexington, S.C.) took the loss. Jeffcoat allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings of work. She also tallied six strikeouts.
C-N got off to a strong start, as Price drew a walk to lead off the first inning and later scored on a Whaley single down the left-field line to give the Lady Eagles a 1-0 lead.
A two-run double by Price in the second frame pushed C-N's lead to 3-0, and Shoemake sent a solo home run to left field in the fourth to give the Lady Eagles a 4-0 cushion.
Newberry pulled to within 4-1 in the fifth. Jennifer Yancey (Dunwoody, Ga.) singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Three batters later Yancey scored when Hilbourn grounded out to second base, but the Wolves were unable to pull closer, as Shealy allowed just two hits during the final two innings.
The Lady Eagles return to action on Monday in their final home doubleheader of the regular season against Brevard. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.
