Carson-Newman hosts Catawba in first round draw of SAC Tournament
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Third-seeded RV Carson-Newman (37-10, 16-6 SAC) tangles with sixth-seeded Catawba (26-23, 11-11 SAC) in the first round of the South Atlantic Conference tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
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Game 1
Game 1
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VIDEO: In The Booth vs Catawba (Game 1)
VIDEO: In The Booth vs Catawba (Game 2)
VIDEO: In The Booth vs Catawba (Game 3) *If Necessary*
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Third-seeded RV Carson-Newman (37-10, 16-6 SAC) tangles with sixth-seeded Catawba (26-23, 11-11 SAC) in the first round of the South Atlantic Conference tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex.
The regular season ended on a sour note for the Eagles, as they were swept for the first time in 2026 by Lenoir-Rhyne in a battle for the SAC Regular Season title on senior day. Now, as they enter the second season, they eye a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023.
Carson-Newman has won the SAC Tournament 11 times, but it has been eight years since its last title when it went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. Lenoir-Rhyne has won the last two SAC Championships and heads into the tournament as the top overall seed. However, the regular season champion has not won the SAC Tournament since 2018, when the Eagles were crowned Co-Regular Season Champions.
This weekend will be the first time since April 18th, 2013, that Carson-Newman and Catawba collide in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The Indians won that meeting 4-1. The Eagles lead the all-time series between the two sides 61-22 after taking both games on the road in early April.
In the regular season, C-N swept the doubleheader against Catawba when the two sides met on April 9th in Salisbury, North Carolina. Carson-Newman outscored Catawba 27-7 across the two games today, tallying 31 total hits.
The Eagles took an early lead in game one and sailed to a 12-2 win, before responding to Catawba's comeback bid with an emphatic eight-run third, carrying them to a 15-5 victory in the second half of the twin bill. It was the only time this season that the Eagles won via a run-rule in both contests.
C-N has notched its highest win total since the 2017 team, and before the senior day losses, it was amid its longest winning streak, 15 games, since 2017 as well. The success of this year's team has been due to the mix of seasoned veterans and talented underclassmen stepping into big roles. It was noticed around the SAC as the league's offices announced the All-Conference teams on Thursday afternoon.
The Eagles garnered six all-conference athletes, featuring five First Team All-SAC players and the league's Freshman of the Year, Malyiah Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.).
Smith led the conference with 73 hits, was third with a .427 batting average and second with 22 stolen bases. She was also named the First Team All-SAC shortstop for her efforts. The Knoxville native has a team-high 26 multi-hit outings, batting leadoff and starting at shortstop in every game this season.
Joining her on the First Team were first baseman Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.), her fourth All-SAC honor, third baseman Grace Gregory (White House, Tenn.), outfielder Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) and freshman pitcher Atiana Stamper (Knoxville, Tenn.). Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) received Third Team All-SAC honors in the outfield.
Catawba heads into the postseason after sweeping Coker on the final weekend of the season, tying Wingate for sixth in the SAC. The Indians held the tiebreaker as they bested the Bulldogs both times during the regular season.
The sweep against the Cobras was the first time Catawba took both games of a doubleheader since March 28th. It came on the heels of a 2-8 stretch during April, which featured a six-game losing streak in SAC play, starting with C-N's dominant sweep on April 9th.
Led by a pair of First Team All-SAC players, Catawba racked up five regular-season honors. Second baseman Grace Flynn and utility/pitcher Dakotah Wilkins were named to the first team. Meanwhile, shortstop Brianna Gallagher, outfielder Michaela Hartman and utility/non-pitcher Alexis Monroe made the second team.
Gallagher, the 2025 SAC Player of the Year and All-American, is one of the league's most dangerous hitters. She is fourth with a .415 batting average and third with 53 RBIs, adding eight long balls, all leading Catawba. The senior had her outing cut short against Carson-Newman the first time, she exited in the bottom of the first inning of game one after a base hit.
Meanwhile, Flynn steals more bases than anybody in the conference with 30. On the season, the Indians are 103-for-106 on stolen bases, averaging 2.10 stolen bases per game, the 32nd-best mark in the country. They were 5-for-5 against the Eagles.
At the helm is Allie Lyerly in her second season, guiding Catawba back to the SAC Tournament after missing last season. She has picked up back-to-back 20-plus win seasons. It is her fourth season overall at her alma mater, spending the first two seasons as an assistant coach.
As a player, Lyerly set the season and career program records for hits, RBI, home runs and career record marks for doubles and slugging percentage. Lyerly was named SAC Freshman of the Year in 2007 and was a two-time All-Region and All-Conference selection. She was inducted into the Catawba College Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.
Game one is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start on Saturday, with game two set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday in Jefferson City. If necessary, game three will be played on Sunday as well. Fans can watch the games on FloSports with a subscription, listen on cneagles.com/live or tune in to the In The Booth Cam on Carson-Newman's Eagle Sports Network YouTube channel.
