Wingate, N.C.----The Carson-Newman University Eagles scored two unearned runs in the top of the seven inning of game one to rally for a 3-2 victory at Wingate University, while prevailing 7-4 in game two in a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader. The Eagles improve to 34-10 overall and 13-3 in the SAC, while Wingate falls to 23-21 overall and 8-8 in league play.
Game One: Carson-Newman 3, Wingate 2
Lacie Rinus had a pair of RBI and a run scored to lead the Carson-Newman offense, while
KaraLynne Levi added an RBI for the Eagles.
Abby Fiessinger was two-for-three with a run scored, while
Kristen Toppel also scored a run.
Senior infielder
Katie McLaurin (Laurinburg, N.C.) drove in a run to lead the Wingate offense, while sophomore
Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) and freshman
Mary Claire Coyne (Knoxville, Tenn.) each contributed a hit and a run scored for the Bulldogs.
Wingate struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Coyne led off the inning with a double, then moved to third on a single from
Taylor Wells (Chesterfield, Va.). McLaurin then reached on an RBI fielder's choice to give the 'Dogs a 1-0 lead.
Fiessinger led off the fifth with a single, then scored on a Linus sacrifice fly to tie it 1-1.
Wingate regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth, starting with Sapp's one-out single. She moved to second on a hit batsman, then scored when Wells reached on an error, making it 2-1.
The Eagles answered with two in the top of the seventh, starting when Toppel reached on a one-out error. She scored the game-tying run on an RBI single from Linus, while Levi followed with an RBI single to give Carson-Newman its first lead of the day.
Linus got the win, moving to 19-5. She allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out 11 and walking one. Sophomore right-hander
Rachel Weidner (Greenville, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 12-10. She allowed one earned run on six hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking four.
Game Two: Carson-Newman 7, Wingate 4
Katie Pritchett had a homer and four RBI to lead the Carson-Newman attack in game two.
Taylor Scott added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while Levi and
Cheyenne Boles each contributed an RBI for the Eagles.
Freshman catcher
Jordan Floyd (Wilmington, N.C.) had a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate offense in game two. Coyne also homered and drove in two runs for the Bulldogs. Wingate out-hit Carson-Newman 12-9 in game two, but left eight runners on base and ran into four outs on the base paths.
Carson-Newman loaded the bases with two outs in the first, scoring a pair of runs when Pritchett and Boles drew back-to-back walks to make it 2-0.
The Bulldogs answered with two in the bottom of the frame to tie it. Sapp drew a lead-off walk, then scored when Coyne connected on her fourth homer of the year, a two-run shot to left to make it 2-2.
The Eagles piled up five runs in the second, with Pritchett's three-run homer to right center giving Carson-Newman a 7-2 advantage.
Freshman
Emma Swenson (Matthews, N.C.) started Wingate's two-out rally in the fifth with a double, then scored on Floyd's two-run homer to left, her team-best sixth of the year to make it 7-4.
Rinus earned her second win of the day and 20th of the year, working 6 2/3 innings in relief, allowing two runs on 10 hits, striking out six. Freshman right-hander
Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 11-11. She allowed seven runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings, walking five. Weidner worked 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just four hits.
Wingate is back in action Tuesday, hosting a doubleheader against Catawba at 2 p.m.
