Two complete games and strong hitting propel Eagles to home opener sweep
After spending the first 10 games away from home, Carson-Newman softball was welcomed back to Mossy Creek with a home opener sweep against King.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | X | 7 | 11 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
|
|
1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 6 | 9 | 1 |
VIDEO: Michael Graves Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After spending the first 10 games away from home, Carson-Newman softball was welcomed back to Mossy Creek with a home opener sweep against King.
The Eagles took game one, 7-1, powered by a two-run home run from Grace Gregory (White House, Tenn.), two RBIs from Addie Saunders (Radford, Va.) and a complete game from Atiana Stamper (Knoxville, Tenn.). In the second game, King jumped ahead 2-0 in the first, but Emma Romeka (San Diego, Calif.) buckled down as C-N rattled off the last six runs of the game, including a go-ahead RBI single from Saunders.
"Pitching was great, they've been carrying us a lot this year, defense was stout again and we're continuing to show good signs with the bat in situations," head coach Michael Graves said. "Overall, that's two good wins against a good team."
C-N is now 23-1 all-time in home openers and has won four consecutive. Additionally, it has won the last three meetings against the Tornado, outscoring them 24-5 in that span.
Carson-Newman 7, King 1
Atiana Stamper got the start in game one and worked through two scoreless frames before the Eagles broke through in the bottom of the second. The first two hitters were retired before Sarah Walker (Mills River, N.C.) doubled down the left field line, followed by a Katey Mathena (Blacksburg, Va.) single, putting runners on the corners. After Mathena advanced on a wild pitch, Addie Saunders roped a triple into left center to break the ice, 2-0.
After another pair of scoreless frames from Stamper, C-N doubled their lead on a two-run shot from Grace Gregory, 4-0. It was her first of the season and in a Carson-Newman uniform.
The lone blemish by Stamper came in the sixth inning on a solo home run from Yuleesa Kennedy, 4-1. However, the C-N offense had her back, tacking on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Saunders picked up another base hit to get the ball rolling before moving to second base on a passed ball. Followed by a Reese Winchester (San Diego, Calif.) and a bunt single from Malyiah Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) loaded the bases with one out. A single up the middle from Abbi Martin (Gadsden, Ala.) pushed Saunders across, the next batter, Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) drove in Winchester on a fielder's choice, before Anne Marie Richards (Spring Hill, Tenn.) plated Martin to close out a three-run inning, 6-2.
The freshman Stamper tamed the Tornado down in order to close the book on her first career complete-game. She allowed just the lone run on four hits with four strikeouts, improving to 3-0 on the season.
Saunders went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, as Gregory went 2-for-4 with another two RBIs, and Richards continued to perform, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Carson-Newman 6, King 2
The second game did not start as smoothly as the first for C-N and Emma Romeka, as King blitzed the freshman pitcher. Gianna Winge led off the game with a single and advanced to second on an error on a fielder's choice. With two on, Yuleesa Kennedy doubled down the left field line to score the first of the game, before Aviah Bunsic drove in Kennedy on a base hit, 2-0.
C-N answered back with a the bottom half as Abbi Martin got on with a single, moved into scoring position on a groundout and was driven in by Anne Marie Richards, 2-1.
After a bumpy first frame, Romeka settled down with a 1-2-3 second inning and allowed just one hit in the third.
The Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the third, Martin reached on a walk to lead off the inning, swiped second base and moved to third on a groundout. With the tying run 60 feet away, Richards came up and delivered once more with an RBI single up the middle, evening the contest, 2-2. An error put Grace Gregory on base, before a groundout moved both into scoring position. For the second straight game, Addie Saunders had the hit that put C-N in front. The sophomore worked a line drive the other way and into left field to plate Richards, 3-2.
Romeka continued to deal in the circle, retiring 10 straight batters dating back to the third, and notched 1-2-3 frames in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
C-N tacked on to its lead with a two-out rally in the sixth. After a Macauley Bailey walk, she was replaced by Bailee Worley (Black Mountain, N.C.) as a pinch runner, Richards notched her third single of the day, putting Worley at third. Then, Gregory delivered her second big hit of the day with a double down the right field line, driving in both Worley and Richards, and she advanced to third on the throw home. Sarah Walker added on with a base hit to score Gregory, 6-2.
Romeka capped things with a strikeout in the seventh, as she recorded her second consecutive complete game. She finished the game with two strikeouts, allowing one earned run and improved to 3-0 this season.
Carson-Newman will be back in action tomorrow as they host Barton to close out the weekend.
With cold weather expected, tomorrow's first pitch was moved up to an 11 a.m. start from the Vickee Kazee-Hollifield Softball Complex. The game can be heard on cneagles.com/live or watched on cneagles.com/FloSB with a FloSports subscription. Fans can also watch the radio crew at work via a press row feed on YouTube.
