Jefferson City, Tenn.----After falling 8-0 in the first game, the Wingate University Bulldogs got a solid performance from junior right-hander Kelsey Maffucci (Rockledge, Fla.) in her collegiate pitching debut, notching a 3-2 victory in game two to split the doubleheader with the Eagles. The Bulldogs are now 18-14 overall and 2-2 in the SAC. Carson-Newman moves to 19-11 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
 
Game One: Carson-Newman 8, Wingate 0
 
The Eagles jumped out to a quick start, getting a solo shot from Cassidy Skeen to lead off the bottom of the first. Bri Shoemake added a solo homer in the third, while Mary Shealy’s RBI single made it 3-0.
 
A sacrifice fly from Shealy gave the Eagles a 4-0 lead in the fourth, while a wild pitch made it 5-0. A solo homer from Kim Whaley in the fifth pushed the advantage to six. Shoemake added an RBI double later in the frame to make it 7-0. Sara Kelley’s homer to start the sixth finished the first game.
 
Shealy got the win, improving to 19-10 on the year. She allowed just two hits in six innings of work, striking out eight on the day. Freshman right-hander Miranda Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) took the loss, falling to 14-13. She allowed seven earned runs on 14 hits in five innings of work, striking out four.
 
Game Two: Wingate 3, Carson-Newman 2
 
Freshman catcher Betsy Braswell (Rocky Mount, N.C.) was two-for-four with a homer and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman infielder Alexis Burrell (Chesapeake, Va.) also homered for Wingate, while senior outfielder Joya Wortham (Creedmoor, N.C.) was two-for-three.
 
Braswell reached on a one-out single in the first, moved to third on a single from junior first baseman Brittany Loudermilt (Stony Point, N.C.), then scored on an error.
 
Braswell connected on her third homer of the year in the third, a solo shot to give the ‘Dogs a 2-0 lead. Burrell led off the fifth with her third homer of the season, giving Wingate a three-run lead.
 
Carson-Newman got on the board in the fifth on Kelley’s RBI double. Shoemake’s RBI single in the sixth cut the lead to one.
 
Paul entered the game in relief, pitching the final two innings without allowing a run to notch her first save of the year. Maffucci got the win, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings of work to improve to 1-0 on the year. Shealy took the loss, falling to 19-11. She allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.
 
Wingate returns to action Wednesday, hosting Lenoir-Rhyne at 2 p.m.