Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Advances To Southeast Super Regional With 2-1 Win Over Carson-Newman

HICKORY, N.C. - Second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne (44-8) rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 2-1 win over sixth-seeded Carson-Newman (41-17-1) Sunday afternoon at Bears Field to capture the 2011 NCAA Division II Softball Southeast Regional Tournament.

With the victory, No. 6 L-R advances to the Southeast Super Regional Tournament and will take on the number one seed and second-ranked, North Georgia (50-9). North Georgia defeated fourth-seeded Flagler (42-17), 6-1, in the other half of the Southeast Regional Tournament. The Super Regional will be a rematch of last year and will be conducted May 20-21 at a location to be announced by the NCAA.

Trailing 1-0 with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, L-R freshman third baseman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) came through with a two-run single, which glanced off the glove of Carson-Nemman's shortstop, Whitney Kee (Knoxville, Tenn.), to lift the Bears to the win.

Carson-Newman's lone run of the contest came in the top of the third inning when Amber Hewitt (Ringgold, Ga.) connected on an RBI single to score Dariayn Wright (Murfreesboro, Tenn.).

L-R junior pitcher Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) improved to 27-4 on the season after being credited with the win. Millwood scattered three hits while striking out four after seeing her scoreless inning streak snapped at 23. Sophomore designated player Megan Laxton (Taylorsville, N.C.) finished with a game-high two hits for the Bears, who ran their winning streak to nine games and are now 29-2 in their last 31 contests.

The Lady Eagles' Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) fell to 38-15 on the year after suffering the loss despite allowing two unearned runs.