Lenoir-Rhyne Falls to Flagler in NCAA Softball Regional Final

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The 12th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Team (48-13) saw its season come to an end with a 9-7 loss to Flagler (37-17) Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Flagler, the seventh seed in the regionals, will travel to Dahlonega, Ga., to face top-seeded North Georgia (48-8) in the NCAA Division II Southeast Super Regional next Friday.

The series between the two Peach Belt Conference schools will be a best two out of three.
Alona Personius (Lake Stevens, Wash.) and Marissa Blake (Winter Springs, Fla.) each finished with three hits and three runs batted in to lead the Saints to the victory.

Lenoir-Rhyne junior first baseman Jessica Fellmeth (Waxhaw, N.C.) hit a two-run home run, her 14th of the season, to go along with three hits and a game-high four RBI despite the loss.

The Saints were clinging to a 3-2 advantage before scoring four runs in the top of the third inning highlighted by a two-run double from Blake.

L-R, the third seed, cut the margin to 9-7 in the bottom of the fifth with three runs but couldn't get any closer the rest of the way.

Lenoir-Rhyne senior catcher Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.) drove in two runs while sophomore shortstop Jody Mizelle (Colerain, N.C.) and sophomore third baseman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) each scored twice in the losing effort.

Senior Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) fell to 34-8 after suffering the loss for the Bears, who did not earn a bid to the Super Regionals for the first time since 2009.

Donna Munafo (Satellite Beach, Fla.) earned the win on the mound and improved to 19-5 on the season for Flagler, who won all three games in the regionals to advance.

- Courtesy Lenoir-Rhyne Media Relations