Carson-Newman Tops Coker 6-2

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – A five-run third inning propelled the top seeded Carson-Newman Eagles past the NO. 8 seed Coker Cobras 6-2 on Thursday (Apr. 23) at the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship.

Coker was first to strike with a run in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single from Ashlee Ellen. The Eagles answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the 5-1 lead. A sacrifice fly by Tayler Barcomb in the top of the fifth made it a 5-2 ball game, but Carson-Newman tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-2 win.

Sarah Howard picked up the win the circle for the Eagles. She went the distance allowing just two runs while scattering 11 Cobra hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Tabitha Allen was tagged with the loss. She allowed six runs on nine hits in six innings of action.

Bri Lockett led the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Haley Taylor and Elayna Siebert each picked up a pair of hits as well, while Kristen Toppel drove in two runs with a double.

Ellen and Barcomb each had two hits and drove in a run for the Cobras. Jill Lewis, Riley Morris and Ashley Gallman each picked up a pair of hits as well.

Carson-Newman advances to play the winner of the game between the No. 4 seed Wingate and the No. 5 seed Newberry on Friday (Apr. 24) at 12:30 p.m. Coker falls to the elimination bracket and will await the losing team from the Wingate and Newberry game. Coker’s next game will also be at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.