Carson-Newman, Mars Hill Advance To 2008 Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament Championship Game

April 19, 2008

NEWBERRY, S.C. - The fifth-seeded Mars Hill College Lions got a walkoff homerun from first baseman Ashley Seawell to advance to Championship Sunday with a 6-5 win over the third-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs in the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday.

Mars Hill (39-15) will advance to the championship game against top seed Carson-Newman at 1 p.m. Sunday. Wingate's record falls 31-17 to wrap up the season.

Wingate took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning on a leadoff solo homerun from Leyila Myers and a two-run round-tripper from Heather Winchester.

The Lions cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third when Kristina Osborn drove home Lindsey Barrier with a two-out single.

Mars Hill took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run inning. Seawell led off with a double down the left field line and moved to third on an Ashley Harber single. Jenny Hoyt's bunt single loaded the bases and a single up the middle from Barrier scored a run to cut the lead to 3-2.

Wingate pitcher Brittany Blankenship (LP, 20-11) had trouble finidng the zone throughout the inning, and the Lions were able to take a 4-3 lead with a pair of bases-loaded walks.

The Bulldogs tied the game in the top of the sixth with a solo homerun from designated player Emily Chavis, but Mars Hill reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the frame. Tiara Mitchell led off by beating out an infield single. After Mitchell stole second, a single from Rebekah Huff advanced Mitchell all the way home after centerfielder LaRonda McClain had trouble fielding the ball.

Wingate tied the game at 5-all in the top of the seventh. Winchester led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. A two-out single from Courtney Wagner plated Winchester to tie the game.

The Lions ended the game with the first batter of the bottom of the seventh as Seawell blasted the 0-2 pitch into the left-center bleachers to send her squad to the championship.

Paige Brantley (WP, 12-4) picked up the win for Mars Hill allowing two earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings of relief.

Mars Hill 6, Wingate 5
Apr 19, 2008 at Newberry, S.C.
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Wingate............. 030 001 1 - 5 8 3 (31-17)
Mars Hill........... 001 301 1 - 6 11 0 (39-15)
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Pitchers: Wingate - Blankenship. Mars Hill - Tiffany Farthing; Paige Brantley(2).
Win-Paige Brantley Loss-Blankenship(20-11) T-1:47 A-246
HR WU - Emily Chavis; Leyila Myers; Winchester.
HR MHC - Ashley Seawell.
Blankenship faced 1 batter in the 7th.

Carson-Newman 2, Wingate 1

NEWBERRY, S.C. - Whitney Hickam's (Knoxville, Tenn.) two-out single in the bottom of the seventh scored Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) to give top-seeded Carson-Newman a 2-1 win over third-seeded Wingate in Game 12 of the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament.

Hickam lined a 2-2 pitcher from Wingate starter Brittany Blankenship (Midlothian, Va.) to right field to score Howard, who had singled earlier in the inning.

The Lady Eagles appeared to have the game won a batter earlier, as Jessie Kuhlman (Portage, Mich.) lined a ball to the right side, but a diving stop by second baseman Gina Ager (Columbia, Md.)

Carson-Newman advances to Sunday's championship game, where it will face the winner of Wingate and Mars Hill. First pitch is at 1 p.m.

The Lady Eagles picked up the first run of the game in the third. Howard's infield single score Emily Hutchins (Hixson, Tenn.) to give C-N the 1-0 lead.

Lady Eagle starter Zoe Heim (Gallatin, Tenn.) held Wingate at bay until the late innings. She worked the complete game, allowing five hits and striking out seven to improve to 29-5 on the year.

Wingate left fielder Heather Winchester (Waxhaw, N.C.) led off the sixth with a ground-rule double to right, giving the Bulldogs the tying run in scoring position.

LaRonda McClain (Kings Mountain, N.C.) laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Winchester to third.

Winchester would take home, scoring out a ground out by third baseman Hallie Pettigrew (Uniontown, Ohio). The throw from C-N first baseman Stephanie Templeton (Ringgold, Ga.) came late, as Pettigrew reached under the tag of catcher Amber Palmer (Kennesaw, Ga.).

The Bulldogs put runners at the corners with one out in the seventh, but Heim struck out the final two batters to get out of the jam.

Howard led the Lady Eagles with a 2-for-2 day. She also stole three bases.

Winchester led the Bulldogs with two hits, scoring their only run. Blankenship (LP, 20-10) took the loss for Wingate.

Carson-Newman 2, Wingate 1
Apr 19, 2008 at Newberry, S.C.
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Wingate............. 000 001 0 - 1 5 0 (31-16)
Carson-Newman....... 010 000 1 - 2 4 0 (47-6)
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Pitchers: Wingate - Blankenship. Carson-Newman - Heim.
Win-Heim(29-5) Loss-Blankenship(20-10) T-2:30 A-241

Mars Hill 6, Catawba 3

NEWBERRY, S.C. - The fifth-seeded Mars Hill Lions used a five-run third inning to power by sixth-seeded Catawba 6-3 in Game 11 of the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament.

Mars Hill (38-15) advances to this afternoon's loser bracket final where it will face the loser of this morning's Carson-Newman/Wingate matchup at 4:15 p.m.

The Lions managed six runs, all unearned, on only four hits. The Lions took advantage of taking advantage of six walks and three Lady Indians' errors.

Catawba took a quick 1-0 lead, as catcher Ryann Baker (Rockwell, N.C.) singled and came around to score a single by designated hitter Sam Vidal (Huntersville, N.C.).

Mars Hill would get all it needed in the third, plating five runs on three hits.

Sophomore Lindsey Barrier (Salisbury, N.C.) reached on an infield single to lead off the inning.

Catawba starter Meghan Cobb (LP, 14-14) would record the next two outs in routine fashion, but the inning slipped away from the Lady Indians from that point.

A throwing error by shortstop Kathryn Geouge (Canton, N.C.) scored Barrier, and kept the inning alive for the Lions. It also brought the Mars Hill bats to life.

First baseman Ashley Seawell (Asheboro, N.C.) delivered with a two-run double, and right fielder Ashley Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) followed with a two-run single to put the Lions up 5-1.

Cobb also issued a pair of walks in the inning.

The Lady Indians would cut into a 6-1 Mars Hill lead with a pair of runs in the fourth.

Tara West (WP, 12-5) and Paige Brantley combined to scatter nine hits and three Catawba runs.

Mars Hill 6, Catawba 3
Apr 19, 2008 at Newberry, S.C.
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Mars Hill........... 005 100 0 - 6 4 2 (38-15)
Catawba............. 010 200 0 - 3 9 3 (26-25)
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Pitchers: Mars Hill - Tara West; Paige Brantley(5). Catawba - M.Cobb.
Win-Tara West(12-5) Loss-M.Cobb T-1:45 A-124