Lenoir-Rhyne Tops Catawba To Claim 2011 Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament Championship

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne used a three-run first inning to spark an 8-0 victory over third-seeded Catawba College in five innings in the championship game of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.

With the win, the Bears (41-8) claim their second straight SAC Tournament championship and sixth overall. Lenoir-Rhyne also earns an automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Tournament. Catawba concludes its season at 32-19.

Lenoir-Rhyne junior pitcher Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.), who gave up just one earned run in the Bears' last three games, was stellar once again in the circle. Millwood (24-4) scattered four hits across five innings of work and had four strikeouts to complete her ninth shutout of the season.

The Bears got off to a strong start with a three-run outburst on five hits in the first inning. After Lenoir-Rhyne loaded the bases with singles by Jody Mizelle (Colerain, N.C.), Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.) and Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.), Jessica Fellmeth (Waxhaw, N.C.) delivered a single up the middle to drive in the first run of the game. Two batters later, Brandi Haithcock (Snow Camp, N.C.) sent a single to shallow left field to drive in two runs and give the Bears a 3-0 lead.

Lenoir-Rhyne pushed its lead to 4-0 in the second, as Tameron Sealey (Mount Holly, N.C.) singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a single up the middle by Kat Rivers (Royston, Ga.).

In the third inning, the Bears kept adding to their lead, as Fellmeth singled and later scored on a passed ball to give Lenoir-Rhyne a 5-0 advantage.

Lenoir-Rhyne put the game out of reach in the fourth inning with a three-run outburst. Fellmeth delivered a two-run double in the inning, while Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.) added a RBI single to give the Bears an 8-0 cushion.

The Bears pounded out 13 hits in the win. Fellmeth went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the way. Carpenter, Rivers and Atkins added two hits apiece, while Haithcock finished with a hit and two RBIs.

Senior Carly Sabat (Warren, Ohio) went 2-for-3 to lead Catawba.

Catawba starting hurler Emily Huneycutt (Locust, N.C.) was tagged with the loss. Huneycutt (18-10) gave up four runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings in the circle. She also had one strikeout on the day.

Lenoir-Rhyne head coach Shena Hollar on winning second straight championship:

"We set goals at the first of the year, and this is one of them. There are a couple more that we are trying to achieve. They played well today."

On starting pitcher Dawon Millwood:

"She threw really well (on Friday), and you don't know what you are going to get after a really good day. The first inning I think she was just nervous, but we played good defense and got out of it. She settled, and once she settled down we began to control the game."