Carson-Newman concludes non-conference slate as it hosts Milligan
After snapping its streak of splits on Tuesday, RV Carson-Newman (25-8, 6-4 SAC) returns home for its final non-conference doubleheader against NAIA opponent Milligan (14-8, 9-3 AAC).
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
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5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | X | 11 | 10 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
|
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2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | X | 11 | 13 | 0 |
VIDEO: In The Booth vs Milligan (Game 1)
VIDEO: In The Booth vs Milligan (Game 2)
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After snapping its streak of splits on Tuesday, RV Carson-Newman (25-8, 6-4 SAC) returns home for its final non-conference doubleheader against NAIA opponent Milligan (14-8, 9-3 AAC).
Last time out, the Eagles made the short trip to Greeneville for the 11E Rivalry with Tusculum, taking both games. A three-run fifth carried C-N to the win in game one, 3-1, followed by Grace Gregory's (White House, Tenn.) four-hit, six-RBI performance, which sparked an offensive outburst in a run-rule for the sweep, 13-1.
"It's always great to beat your biggest rival in a doubleheader, in a sweep, and then we put it on them pretty good there in game two, so that feels good," Graves said. "But I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. I think we played terribly. We had base running miscues, we swung at bad pitches, defensive miscues, we had all kinds of stuff go wrong, and then we still ended up doing that. Just imagine how it'd be if we actually played solid and good the whole time."
Carson-Newman has dominated its non-conference matchups this season, with a 19-4 record. The last time it faced a team outside the SAC was on March 4th against Lee from the Gulf South. The Flames used a pair of late rallies to walk off the Eagles, which served as a learning experience for Michael Graves' team.
Topping the charts offensively is first baseman Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.). The senior is second in the SAC with a .477 average and leads the conference with 45 RBIs; she also ranks second on the team with four home runs.
Bailey is tracking towards the top mark in SAC history with career RBIs. She holds the second-most all-time with 235, trailing only Anderson's Kayson Boatner (2019-23), who has 239.
Recently, Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) and Gregory have been hitting the ball well.
In her sophomore season, Saunders is fifth in the SAC with a .423 average and has racked up 15 RBIs this season. She has reached base in her last seven games; during that span, she is 12-for-20 with 2 RBIs, a pair of extra-base hits and four walks. On Tuesday, she worked a pair of walks in the first game, before going 2-for-4 in the second.
Gregory, meanwhile, leads the team and is tied for fifth in the SAC with six long balls this season. She is batting .339 overall and has driven in 33 runs, tied for fourth in the conference. Against Tusculum, she was 5-for-7 in the two games, with three extra-base hits and six RBIs.
She became the first Carson-Newman player with four hits in a game since graduate assistant Hayden Dye did so last season.
In the circle, Atiana Stamper (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been a workhorse with seven complete games and has gone the distance in her last four starts. On the season, she is 8-3 overall, third in the SAC with a 2.15 ERA and fifth with 77 strikeouts. She is holding opponents to a .191 batting average.
Stamper delivered seven shutdown innings against the Pioneers yesterday, allowing one run on six hits while striking out four in the game one victory.
A surprise addition to the staff has been the emergence of Reagan Rowan (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.). The sophomore is coming off a complete-game performance in her first career start in game two against Tusculum, striking out four and allowing an unearned run on four hits. This came on the heels of her first career win against Anderson over the weekend.
"She said if we get out of here in five with a run-rule victory that you let me hit next game," Graves said. "I said sure, so I guess she's our DH next game."
Milligan comes into Mossy Creek with a 14-8 record and a 9-3 mark in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Most recently, it split with Tennessee Wesleyan on Friday, March 20th.
Alana Parsons leads the way offensively for the Buffs with a .492 average and a team-best three home runs, along with 30 RBIs. Jaylyn Haliburton and Mollie Johnson are two other notable hitters, with the pair holding a .400 and .357 batting average, respectively. As a team, Milligan is batting .321 on the season.
Pitching-wise, Katelin Secrist and Bree Presnell have logged a majority of the innings this season. Sadie Shoun has the third most innings pitched with 17.
Secrist enters Thursday with a 2.92 ERA and a 9-4 record on the season. The senior has thrown a team-high 64.2 innings, striking out 20 and walking 19; opponents are batting .292 against her.
Meanwhile, Presnell has been the other starter this season, holding a 3-1 record across 11 appearances with eight starts in 41 innings of work. The Johnson City native possesses a 3.93 ERA with 24 strikeouts.
Tomorrow will be the first meeting against Milligan since 2024, where the C-N took both meetings. It marked the first time the two Volunteer State schools had met since 1992. The Eagles lead the all-time series, 11-1.
The first game against the Buffaloes is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Vickee-Kazee Hollifield Softball Complex. Fans can watch the game with a FloSports subscription, listen to the game on cneagles.com/live or watch the In The Booth feed on the Carson-Newman Eagle Sports Network YouTube channel.
