Eagles bats go dormant in split at King
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (14-4) saw its nine-game winning streak and its 20-game winning streak against Conference Carolinas competition come to a close in game two of a doubleheader at King (11-13) Thursday at the King Softball Field.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | X | 3 | 7 | 0 |
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (14-4) saw its nine-game winning streak and its 20-game winning streak against Conference Carolinas competition come to a close in game two of a doubleheader at King (11-13) Thursday at the King Softball Field.
The Eagles rallied to win game one 4-2 on the strength of a two-hit shutout, before the Tornado tallied a two-hit, 3-0 shutout win in the night cap.
GAME ONE: Carson-Newman 4, King 2
King struck first in a game that was bereft of offense early. Azlee Sells led off the bottom of the third with a double to left field. A wild pitch caromed off the back stop a batter later and got trapped near Carson-Newman's dugout to allow Sells to race home from two bases away. That gave King a 1-0 lead.
For the longest time, it looked as if the Eagles would be un able to rally. C-N got the tying run on in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, with that run in scoring position with only one out on the board in the fifth and sixth inning.
However, C-N broke through in the seventh thanks to a King miscue. Madelyn Gillett (Howell, Mich.) ignited the rally with a one-out single to left. Karissa SChnitz (Smiths, Ala.) pinch-ran for her and moved to second when Leah Sohm (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked.
Shannon Smith (Channahon, Ill.) smoked a 1-0 pitch to short that King's shortstop misplayed. The E6 loaded the bases and set the stage for Abby Fiessinger (Benton, Ky.).
The senior lofted a ball over the head of the centerfielder to clear the bases and give C-N a 3-1 lead.
Haley Caldwell (Kenova, W.Va.) kept things rolling with a base hit to center to extend the Eagle edge to 4-1 before a ground out ended the frame.
King got a run back in the bottom of the seventh on a Chelsea Sams solo home run, but a ground out and a strikeout ended the King threat.
Makayla McCarthy (El Cajon, Calif.) logged the win in the circle to improve to 5-2. She allowed just three hits and two runs, both earned against a walk and five strikeouts.
Nikole Counts was the hard-luck loser for the Tornado, falling to 1-6 in defeat. All four runs she allowed were unearned. She walked two and struck out two.
Gillett and Caldwell both turned in multi-hit days for the Eagles.
GAME TWO: King 3, Carson-Newman 0
Much like game one, it was King who lit the lamp first. A walk and a single gave the Tornado two runners in scoring position with an out in the bottom of the first. Erin Foster delivered a deep fly ball to right to plate Bailey Deason and give King a 1-0 lead.
King added to its edge in the bottom of the fifth. Singles from Hattie Campbell and Casey Gilbert started the frame before Deason drove in the first run with a base hit up the middle. Meagan Puckett dropped down a sacrifice bunt featuring a throwing error at first that enabled the second run of the inning to come in.
Emma Hughes logged the win in the circle for King to improve to 6-3. She worked the two-hit shutout with five Ks.
Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) took the loss to drop to 6-2.
