Lenoir-Rhyne Blanks USC Aiken And Carson-Newman Edged By Armstrong Atlantic State On Day One of NCAA Southeast Regional

HICKORY, N.C. - Second-seed and No. 6 ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (42-8) blanked the seventh-seed, USC Aiken, 1-0 (26-17) and the third seed, Armstrong Atlantic State (31-12), used a late-inning rally to edge sixth-seeded Carson-Newman (39-16-1), 3-2, in eight innings in first day action of the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament Friday at Bears Field.

On Saturday, Lenoir-Rhyne will face Armstrong Atlantic State at noon, followed by Carson-Newman and USC Aiken in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m. The loser of the Lenoir-Rhyne - Armstrong Atlantic State contest will play the winner of the Carson-Newman - USC Aiken matchup at 5:00 p.m. in another elimination game.

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Lenoir-Rhyne 1, USC Aiken 0

L-R junior Dawon Millwood (25-4), the 2011 South Atlantic Conference Pitcher Of The Year, threw a three-hit shutout while junior catcher Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.) drove in the game's only run as the Bears prevailed in the second contest of the day.

Millwood also struck out three and was able to retire the final three batters in the top of the seventh inning with runners at second and third and no outs.

The contest was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when Atkins connected on a one-out, RBI single which plated freshman third baseman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) for the game's only run.

USC Aiken's India Kornegay (Eufaula, Ala.) suffered the loss and fell to 13-9 on the year despite allowing just four hits while striking out seven. The Pacers' Kylee Knop (Oxford, Ga.) had a game-high two hits in the setback.

Armstrong Atlantic State 3, Carson-Newman 2 (8 innings)

The Pirates picked up a 3-2 win in game one of the Hickory Regional as Armstrong Atlantic State came from behind to defeat Carson-Newman in eight innings.

The Eagles broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. With a runner on first and two outs, Sara Kelley (Birchwood, Tenn.) sent a line drive over the fence in right center field for a two-run home run.

The contest seemed to belong to the Eagles but the Pirates would not go quietly. With two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning, Erin Billingsley (Roswell, Ga.) hit a two-run single to left field to tie the score at two and force extra innings.

Armstrong Atlantic State benefited from two Carson-Newman errors to put runners on first and third with two outs in the eighth inning. Lauren Wilcox (Hazlehurst, Ga.) then ripped a single to left field to plate Bethany Wilke (Lynn Haven, Fla.) for the game-winning run. Wilcox led the Pirates with two hits.

Megan Barnwell (Brooklet, Ga.) (23-7) garnered the victory as she struck out eight while Carson-Newman's Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) (36-14) suffered the loss. Both pitchers went the distance.