Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman, Presbyterian, Wingate Advance In Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament

CLINTON, S.C. - The top four seeds all won on the first day of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conferene Softball Tournament, held at the PC Softball Complex on the campus of Presbyterian College.

An updated printable bracket is available here

No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, No. 8 Tusculum 0

CLINTON, S.C. - All-SAC first team outfielder Taylor Queen finished with three hits and three RBIs in top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne's 6-0 victory over eighth-seeded Tusculum on Thursday afternoon. The win moved the Bears into the winner's bracket of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament at the PC Softball Complex.

Queen (Conover, N.C.) was a double short of the cycle as the junior finished the day 3-for-4 from the plate with a single, triple and a home run. She also scored two runs.

Queen was one of only two L-R players to conclude their efforts on the day with multiple hits. A second team All-SAC choice, Brittany Cherry (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

All-SAC first team shortstop Brooke Starnes (Conover, N.C.) of Lenoir-Rhyne belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Only two Tusculum (28-24) batters recorded hits as first team All-SAC pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va.) threw a two-hitter. Hanes only had one strikeout in the contest, but improved to 23-6 on the season with the shutout victory.

Holli Cadenhead (Van Vleck, Texas) suffered the loss in the circle for the Pioneers, striking out three in 4.1 innings pitched before giving way to Kassie Killion (Coolidge, Ariz.).

Lenoir-Rhyne (46-8) will next face host school and fourth-seeded Presbyterian at 11:45 a.m. on field one on Friday, April 20 at the PC Softball Complex. The Pioneers will square off against fifth-seeded Catawba in an elimination game at 11:45 a.m. on field two.

No. 2 Carson-Newman 6, No. 7 Mars Hill 3

Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, Tenn.) led second-seeded Carson-Newman to the winner's bracket of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament with a 6-3 victory over seventh-seeded Mars Hill on Thursday afternoon at the PC Softball Complex.

Stevens was 3-for-4 from the plate for the Lady Eagles in the game, collecting two RBIs and scoring a run.

She was one of three Carson-Newman softball players to acquire multiple hits as All-SAC second team member Katie Speaks (Manassas, Va.) was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Whitney Durham (Rossville, Ga.) was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Mars Hill had two players with multi-hit efforts in Ashley Harber (Goose Creek, S.C.) and Katie Bryden (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada). Both Harber and Bryden were 2-for-3 with an RBI at the dish on the afternoon with Harber crossing the plate once as well.

Carson-Newman placed the game out of reach in the first three innings, scoring four runs.

The Lady Eagles scored the inaugural run of the game in the bottom of the first when Stevens singled in first team All-SAC member Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.). Carson-Newman struck again in the bottom of the second to make the score 2-0 when Sarah Little (Calhoun, Ga.) led off things in the inning with a home run to center field.

Carson-Newman plated two more in the bottom of the third and did not score again until their final at-bat when All-SAC second team selection Whitney Hickam singled through the left side to score two and give Carson-Newman six runs in the game.

Mars Hill did not pick up its three runs until their final two chances in the sixth and seventh stanzas. Harber acquired the first RBI of the day for MHC in the top of the sixth when she doubled in a run and then Bryden tallied the second in the inning when she singled up the middle to score a run for the Lions.

All-SAC second team choice Kristina Osborn (Birmingham, Ala.) grounded out to the shortstop in the seventh inning to bring in Paige Brantley (Raleigh, N.C.) and set the final mark at 6-3.

Carson-Newman with the victory will next face off against third-seeded Wingate on field one at the PC Softball Complex at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 20. Mars Hill will face Newberry in an elimination game at 11:45 a.m. on field two at the PC Softball Complex.

No. 3 Wingate, No. 6 Newberry 0

CLINTON, S.C. - Wingate starter Ashley Green threw a complete game two-hit shutout in the Bulldogs' 3-0 victory over Newberry in Thursday's opening round of the Food Lion South Atlantic Tournament. The third seeded Bulldogs improve to 34-18 with the win and will play No. 2 Carson-Newman at 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning on field one at the PC Softball Complex.

Newberry (34-21-1) will also take the field at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning against Mars Hill on field two.

Wingate scored two runs in the first inning off a Megan McPhail home run to left center that scored Hallie Pettigrew who reached on an infield single the previous at-bat.

The Bulldogs then added an insurance run in the second when Heather Winchester doubled to left field and later crossed the plate on a throwing error by the Newberry third baseman Ashley Marine to put Wingate ahead 3-0.

The Lady Indians only threat came in the sixth inning when Ginna Dean led off with a single and Courtney Lindler reached on an error. Sara Powell laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position with only one out. However, Green buckled down to retire the next two batters and leave both base runners stranded.

Newberry's Christina Kirby (15-11) tossed the complete game for the Lady Indians, surrendering all three runs on seven base hits to take the loss.

No. 4 Presbyterian 3, No. 5 Catawba 2

CLINTON, SC -- Presbyterian's Erin Stewart (Marion, SC) singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the fourth-seeded Blue Hose a 3-2 victory over fifth-seeded Catawba in the first game of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament on Thursday morning at the PC Softball Complex. Presbyterian improves to 30-14, while the Catawba Indians fall to 41-18.

The single was the only hit of the day for Stewart and it allowed Stephanie Payne (Myrtle Beach, SC) to score from second base. Ashley Ford (Marietta, GA) got things going for PC in the inning, double with one out. Payne entered the game to pinch run for Ford and scored on Stewart's single.

Catawba scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the fourth inning. All-SAC first team member Jessie Whitesides (Yadkinville, NC) led off with a double. Kathryn Geouge (Canton, NC) followed with a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Presbyterian starting pitcher Paige Cassady (Orlando, FL) threw a wild pitch to score Whitesides and eventually Geouge after an error by PC catcher Laura Tate (Spartanburg, SC).

Presbyterian picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rachel Bailey (Howard, OH) led off with a double and stole third. She scored on a one-out squeeze bunt by Jessica Peterka (Sarasota, FL). The Lady Blue Hose tied the game in the sixth on a two-single by Tate.

The two teams only combined for nine hits in the tightly contested game with PC out-hitting Catawba by the tally of 5-4. Bailey was the only individual in either lineup to acquire multiple hits as she finished the contest 2-for-3 with a run scored. Cassady picked up the win for PC, striking out eight Catawba batters and improving to 16-7. Lindsay Ettinger (Pasadena, MD) fell to 22-9 with the loss. She posted four strikeouts.

Presbyterian will now face top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne at 11:45 a.m. on Friday. Catawba will take on Tusculum, also at 11:45 a.m. on Friday at the PC Softball Complex.