C-N and Tusculum Clash to Open SAC Championship Play at The Vick
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (26-18, 13-11 SAC) kicks off South Atlantic Conference Championship play with an opening round battle with in-state rival Tusculum (37-15, 13-11 SAC) at The Vick on Friday afternoon.
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Game 1
Game 1
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JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman (26-18, 13-11 SAC) kicks off South Atlantic Conference Championship play with an opening round battle with in-state rival Tusculum (37-15, 13-11 SAC) at The Vick on Friday afternoon.
C-N and Tusculum matched up earlier in the season, and the Eagles won both, owning the decisive tiebreaker to allow C-N to host the opening round despite the identical conference records.
Carson-Newman outscored Tusculum 17-5 in the two games, handing the then No. 17 Pioneers just their second and third losses of the season. Since then, Tusculum went 6-12 down the stretch, falling to the fifth seed.
The Eagles hit three home runs in the opener with Tusculum, as Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) and Santana Anderson (Fairmont, N.C.) helped open up a seven-run lead with a pair of long balls before Kennady Warder (Harrodsburg, Ky.) walked it off with a solo shot. It was a complimentary effort, as Syerra Rogers (Graysville, Tenn.) dealt five scoreless frames while striking out eight Pioneers.
It was a similar story in game two, as a trio of bombs Hayden Dye (Knoxville, Tenn.), Syerra Rogers, and Macauley Bailey helped build a sizable lead, and Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) ripped a two-RBI single to make it 8-0 after three. Tusculum scored five unanswered to close the gap, but C-N added insurance on a Bailey RBI single.
Lorelei Spradlin (Blacksburg, Va.) entered for Rogers after the fourth and recorded a three-inning save, allowing just one hit.
It will be the first time since 2014 that Carson-Newman and Tusculum meet in the South Atlantic Conference Championship. The Eagles won 6-3 before falling to Wingate in the next round.
Despite the downward trajectory through the season's final stretch, Tusculum was one of the conference's top offensive squads from start to finish. The Pioneers rank third in batting average (.351) and fourth in on-base percentage (.412). Additionally, Tusculum has been the top base-stealing squad in the South Atlantic Conference by a wide margin, stealing 135 bags in 2025 with the next closest team, Lincoln Memorial, stealing 66.
Two of the top five hitters in the league regarding batting average are Pioneers, with Brooke Smith ranking second in the conference (.467) and Danielle Jason in fifth (.456). The two have also stolen the most bases for the Pioneers, with Jason nabbing 46 bags while Smith has stolen 30. Ellie Alvarez also provides speed at the top of the order, stealing 27 bases while producing a .395 average at the plate.
The top RBI threats for Tusculum are Gabi Nicholson and Sammy Jimenez, both cashing in 50-plus. Jimenez's 53 RBI ranks fourth in the conference, while Nicholson's 50 ranks sixth.
Tusculum has struggled in the circle through the final stretch of 2025, allowing double-digit runs in nine of its final 18 games, as the Pioneers' team ERA ranks 10th in the SAC at 5.20, right behind C-N's 5.13 team ERA. Tusculum faced a stretch where it allowed double-digit runs in four of five contests, including a 26-1 loss against No. 8 North Georgia.
However, Tusculum's top arm, Megan Ackerman, is second in the South Atlantic Conference in wins. The lefthanded graduate student posted a 20-8 mark with 15 complete games in the regular season with a 4.16 ERA in 151.1 innings of work. Natalie Spaitis has been Tusculum's other heavily used arm, posting a 7-3 record with a 5.71 ERA in 92 innings.
Dani Beckham and Nyah Vogel have tossed over 40 innings for the Pioneers, predominantly in relief efforts. Beckham holds a 6-2 record and a 7.20 ERA in 45.2 innings, appearing in 22 games with four starts. Vogel has made 15 appearances, tossing 40.2 innings and posting a 4.99 ERA.
The Eagles and Pioneers will open the SAC Championship opening round play with a lone contest on Friday at 3:30 p.m., followed by two on Saturday starting at 1 p.m., with the second only if necessary.
The games will be broadcast live at cneagles.com/FloSB with an audio-only stream at cneagles.com/live.
For updates throughout the 2025 Carson-Newman softball postseason, visit cneagles.com and follow us on social media @cn_eagles.
