GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Carson-Newman righthander Mary Shealy threw a pair of complete-game shutouts to lead the Eagles to a sweep of their South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Tusculum College Tuesday afternoon. Carson-Newman won the opener 9-0 and took game two by a 6-0 score at Red Edmonds Field.
The Pioneers (25-14, 8-2 SAC) will be back home Saturday to take on Catawba in a SAC doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. from Red Edmonds Field.
Game 1: Carson-Newman 9, Tusculum 0
(Box Score)
Bethany Davis and Sara Kelley hit home runs to support a two-hitter from Shealy, who allowed a single to Katie Brennan in the second and a bunt single by Kaytlin Stroinski in the third. Shealy struck out two and walked two to reach the 20-win mark for the season.
Davis hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run second inning for the Eagles, while Kelley slammed a three-run shot off the foul pole in left to cap a four-run seventh. In all, Carson-Newman picked up nine hits in the opener including two each from Shealy and Caitlyn Lance.
After a scoreless first inning, the Eagles scored three times in the second against Pioneer starter Elizabeth Johnson. Shealy drove home the first run with an RBI single down the line in left, and Davis followed with a two-run blast to deep left-center, her fifth round-tripper of the season.
The Pioneers put runners at first and second with two outs in the third, but Shealy got out of trouble on a line drive to center to keep the Eagles on top 3-0.
Carson-Newman tacked on two runs in the fifth on an error and an RBI single by Lance to take a 5-0 lead, and the Eagles scored four more in the seventh on a squeeze bunt by Bri Shoemake and a three-run homer by Kelley, her sixth of the season.
Johnson allowed eight hits and five earned runs in five innings for the Pioneers, with Lindsay Bridges tossing the final two frames in relief and registering three strikeouts.
Game 2: Carson-Newman 6, Tusculum 0
(Box Score)
Shealy went the distance again for the Eagles (21-15, 4-6 SAC), surrendering four hits and striking out five. She again helped herself at the plate by going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
In all, the Eagles picked up 11 hits in the nightcap, led by a 3-for-4 effort from Cassidy Skeen and two hits each from Shoemake and Shealy. Carson-Newman scored three runs in the third and added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth for insurance.
Savannah Ewing and Katie Gross accounted for the Pioneers' four hits as each went 2-for-3 at the plate in the contest. Alix Kruel walked and sacrificed in three trips to the plate for Tusculum.
Tusculum advanced a runner to third in the first inning with one out, but Shealy retired the side on a strikeout and a fly ball. Meanwhile, Johnson allowed only a two-out single in the first over the first two innings before the Eagles broke through in the third for three runs.
With two outs, Skeen reached on an infield single and Shelby Robertson followed with an opposite-field single to left. Shoemake then singled to right to drive home Skeen, and when a play was made on Shoemake attempting to take second on the throw home, Robertson took off for home and scored to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Lance added an RBI single to drive home Shoemake and extend the Carson-Newman lead to 3-0.
Carson-Newman added runs on an RBI single by Skeen in the fourth, an RBI single by Shealy in the fifth and a throwing error in the sixth. The Pioneers threatened in the sixth by putting runners on first and second with no outs, but Shealy was once again able to escape without allowing a run. She set the side down in order in the seventh to finish off the sweep for the Eagles.
"Carson-Newman dominated from first pitch to the last. Shealy was super in the circle and their hitters decimated us," said Pioneer head coach Fred Gillum. "Coach Hollifield has got the Eagles turned in the right direction."
Johnson (22-8) worked four innings in game two for the Pioneers, allowing eight hits and four earned runs. Bridges and Stroinski finished up in relief, combining to allow no earned runs over the final three innings.
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