Lenoir-Rhyne Shuts Out Catawba in NCAA Softball Championship Opener

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Lenoir-Rhyne (47-11) prevailed in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Division II Softball Southeast Regional Tournament with a 2-0 victory over Catawba (33-18) Friday afternoon on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Lenoir-Rhyne will take on seventh-seeded Flagler (35-17) on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Flagler upset second-seed and ninth-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State (44-10), 1-0, in eight innings in the second game Friday.

Senior and two-time South Atlantic Conference Pitcher Of The Year Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) threw a three-hit shutout to lead the 12th-ranked Bears.

Hixson improved to 33-6 on the year after striking out a season-high 11 batters as Lenoir-Rhyne won its 10th straight contest.

The Bears are the third seed in this year's regional tournament while the Indians are seeded sixth.
L-R opened the scoring with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning after junior first baseman Jessica Fellmeth (Waxhaw, N.C.) connected on an RBI single.

Lenoir-Rhyne then made it 2-0 in its half of the fourth thanks to a solo home run from freshman outfielder Brittany Coursen (Virginia Beach, Va.) to lead off the frame.

The home run was the sixth of the year for Coursen, who finished two-for-two on the day to lead Lenoir-Rhyne offensively.

Catawba's Brittany Murray (Asheboro, N.C.) fell to 16-11 on the season despite allowing just one earned run in going the distance. Catawba and AASU will play each other in an elimination game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

- Courtesy Lenoir-Rhyne Media Relations