Eagles face tough tests at Mid-South Classic

Carson-Newman (14-2) ratchets up the difficulty this weekend when it travels to play four games in the Mid-South Classic in Duncan, S.C. against no. 10 Armstrong Atlantic (11-2-1), no. 16 Flagler (12-5), Columbus State (8-9) and Erskine (2-5-1).

Carson-Newman head softball coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said the Eagles schedule to this point should help out against stiffer competition this weekend.

“Playing a pretty good schedule prior to this is always good and being able to get 16 games in is solid,” Kazee-Hollifield said. “We’ll have to be ready to play from the get go.”

The Eagles start the weekend event Friday with a 4 p.m. tilt with Erskine before a nightcap at 8 p.m. against Flagler.

Carson-Newman turns around Saturday for a 10 a.m. game with Columbus State before finishing the weekend with a 2 p.m. meeting with Armstrong.

“When you’ve got top-ranked teams there, this is the place and an opportunity to get some recognition with victories,” Kazee-Hollfield said. “We look forward to this just to see where exactly we are.”

Carson-Newman is led by reigning SAC player of the week Brittany Hefner (Talbot, Tenn.). Hefner started out her week by clocking a double, a triple and a homer to left in an eight-RBI day in a 13-2 win over Lees-McRae last Wednesday. She followed that Saturday against Concord by going 3-for-4 at the plate and ripping two home runs and five RBI.

The eight RBI against Lees-McRae matched a school record. For the week, Hefner batted .538 while slugging 1.462. She did not strike out in her 13 at bats and was solid in the field too. The junior didn’t make an error in the Eagles four games this week.

But it isn’t just Hefner who’s doing the heavy lifting offensively for the Eagles. Carson-Newman has 10 players batting .290 or better and eight that are hitting .350 or better.

Carson-Newman has won seven games in a row. The Eagles have the longest win streak of any of the four teams they’ll face this weekend.

Source: Adam Cavalier Director of Athletic Communications Carson-Newman University