Hefner smashes single season RBI record, hits game winner as Eagles sweep Brevard
Carson-Newman (29-13, 11-7 SAC) shortstop Brittany Hefner (Talbot, Tenn.) drove in four runs in the Eagles’ 9-0 (5), 7-6 (8) sweep of Brevard to reset the school and conference single season record for RBI with 75.
Hefner broke the record with a solo home run in game two before adding to it with a two-RBI game winning single in extra innings.
The junior breaks Staci Fish’s 12-year-old mark of 72.
“I never imagined when I came here that it would happen,” Hefner said. It was kind of scary because no one was pitching to me and I kept wondering if I would ever even have a chance to break it.”
C-N head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield shared Hefner’s sense of relief.
“I think she was delighted to be in attack mode and go after the ball,” Kazee-Hollifield said. When that lady has runners on base, she’s ready to go to work and that’s when she’s at her best. It’s a team thing because kids are going to work to get on, then she’s bring them in.”
Game one: Carson-Newman 9, Brevard 0 (Five innings)
Carson-Newman used a seven-run second, aided by a Brevard error that extended the inning, to snatch a 9-0 run rule win to open the doubleheader. The inning started inauspiciously for Brevard pitcher Alyssa Miller.
After Hefner struck out swinging to lead off the inning, Sara Kelley (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Caitlyn Lance (East Ridge, Tenn.) both singled up the gut to start the frame and that’s when Miller ran into a spot of bother. First, she put Bethany Davis (Nicholasville, Ky.) aboard on a base on balls to juice the bases.
Then Miller fired a four-pitch walk to Natalie Sheffey (Johnson City, Tenn.) to bring in the first run of the inning. Miller proceeded to plunk Cassie Elliot (Johnson City, Tenn.) – the first time she said she’d been hit by a pitch in four years – to bring another run in.
Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) grounded back to Miller in the circle for a fielder’s choice, with Miller going home to get Davis out at the plate. However, with two out, Brevard would extend the inning when Jessica Morgan (Ooltewah, Tenn.) was able to reach on a muffed catch at first by Ally Davenport that allowed Elliot and Sheffey to score unearned.
The Eagles would make the Tornados pay for the defensive miscue.
Shoemake and Hefner jerked back-to-back RBI singles through the left side to increase the Eagle lead to six. Hefner’s poke tied the single season RBI mark at 72.
Then Kelley, back to the plate for a second time that inning, singled to left to bring home Shoemake to finish off the seven-run inning.
Carson-Newman would add two more in the fourth on a Kelley smash through the heart of the infield that brought Braleigh Angel (Hixson, Tenn.) and Morgan in.
Brevard got a one-out double in the fifth from Brittany Jones – the only Tornado to make it past first in game one. However, the Tornados couldn’t push her across to extend the game.
Kaitie Sims (Knoxville, Tenn.) collected the win in four innings of work; she struck out one and allowed two hits. The freshman tossed just 39 pitches to improve to 17-4 for the year.
Game two: Carson-Newman 7, Brevard 6 (Eight innings)
Carson-Newman rallied twice to take down Brevard in game two 7-6 in extra innings to complete the senior day sweep.
It was the Tornados that had the big inning in game two with a four-run sixth that erase a 4-1 Eagle lead, turning it into a 5-4 Brevard advantage.
The Tornados got the innings rolling with singles from Jones and Heather Morris to put runners on the corners with one away. Then Hefner booted a ball at short that allowed Jamie Hrobak to reach and Jones to score. A Miller double drove in scored a pinch running Matthis, but Hrobak was retired trying to come in 9-4-2. Singles from Clemens and Fowler would round out the scoring to give BC the lead.
“When we’re not hitting, it doesn’t seem that our defense isn’t there,” Kazee-Hollifield said. “But that’s the way it’s been. And on days when you’re not hitting, your defense just has to be flawless.”
The Eagles made four errors in the contest. Four of Brevard’s six runs were unearned.
Yet, C-N would strike back in a big way in the sixth. Hefner sent her 19th homerun of the season out of the park over the wall in left and into the pine trees to tie the game and break the single season SAC and C-N RBI record.
Brevard shot ahead in extras 6-5 on a Boykin single through the heart of the infield to plate the international rule runner Tucker from third.
However, C-N would counter in a big way to win the game. With no one out and the bases loaded after a Morgan sacrifice bunt single and a Shoemake walk, Hefner smashed a 3-0 fastball toward the left field line. The ball – ruled fair – kicked up some spray paint as it bounded into left.
Angel and Morgan scored to ratchet Hefner’s RBI to four the day and cinch the win for C-N.
The Eagles won in spite of Brevard outhitting them 13-6.
“Four words, discipline at the plate,” Kazee-Hollifield said. “You can talk about it all you want, but kids have to go after strikes. I’ll give Brevard credit. Their pitcher (Hrobak) made us swing at balls.”
Sims collected the win in relief of Cassie Lyons (Knoxville, Tenn.) to move to 18-4 for the year.
Carson-Newman is back in action Sunday at noon at Coker. The Eagles finished the year third in the SAC – tied with L-R. The Bears won the tiebreak, so the Eagles enter the conference tournament as a four seed. They face off with Catawba in the opening round of the tournament.
