Lady Blue Hose Still Alive After First Two Days of Softball Regional
PC defeats USC Spartanburg twice and Belmont Abbey, falls to Kennesaw State
May 7, 2004

Courtesy Presbyterian College Sports Information Office

Lady Blue Hose Advances With 5-2 Win Over USC Spartanburg

Presbyterian Comes Up Short in 1-0 Loss to Kennesaw State

PC Stays Alive With 2-1 Win Over Belmont Abbey

Presbyterian Eliminates USC Spartanburg, 3-2, in Eight Innings

Lady Blue Hose Advances With 5-2 Win Over USC Spartanburg

KENNESAW, GA – PC's Samantha Slater came in to pitch four and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief to power No. 4-seed Presbyterian to a 5-2 win over No. 5-seed USC Spartanburg in the Game One of the South Atlantic Regionals at the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex.

With the Lady Rifles up 2-0 and runners on second and third base with only one out in the second inning, Slater, who was recently named the South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year, relieved starter Jessica Flanagan and induced two groundballs to get out of the jam.

Slater (15-3) allowed just four hits in picking up the victory.

Jessica Peterka (2-for-3) had two hits and drove in a run for the Lady Blue Hose (45-11). Second baseman Rachel Bailey was 1-for-3 with a RBI. Allie Cyrill (2-for-3) led the Lady Rifles with two hits.

USC Spartanburg (37-16) didn’t help themselves by committing three costly errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.

Lady Rifles starter Kasey Heron (12-4) pitched well in the loss, giving up three earned runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings before being relieved by Jessica Jolley.

Presbyterian will play No.1-seed and host Kennesaw State while USC Spartanburg will play a loser’s brackets game against either North Florida or Belmont Abbey.

Presbyterian Comes Up Short in 1-0 Loss to Kennesaw State

KENNESAW, GA - Kennesaw State's Lisa Macki and No. 4-seed Presbyterian's Samantha Slater locked horns for eight innings in a classic pitcher's duel, but it was sophomore catcher Cambria McKay's single up the middle that gave the No. 1-seed Owls a 1-0 win in the 2004 South Atlantic Regional Championships at the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex.

Kennesaw State (62-4) took the win after a botched pop fly led to the lone run of the contest. With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Kennesaw State's Amy Middleton reached on the error and moved to second base on a ground out. McKay then singled on Slater's first pitch to end the game.

Both pitchers controlled the game from the outset. Slater (15-4) allowed just four singles while striking out four batters and walking just one. Macki (20-1) surrendered three singles and was overpowering in a ten strikeout performance.

Each team rallied early but were shut down by the duo of dominant hurlers. Kennesaw State put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the first inning before Slater mowed down McKay and induced Jennifer Nolan into an inning ending groundout.

Macki ran into her lone jam of the day in the next half inning as the Blue Hose (45-12) put runners on first and second courtesy of an error and a walk. The Owls southpaw regrouped and ended the inning with a strikeout and a line drive back to the box.

Kennesaw State will face the winner of Armstrong Atlantic and North Florida on Friday evening at 5:00 PM while Presbyterian will battle Belmont Abbey at 2:30 PM.

PC Stays Alive With 2-1 Win Over Belmont Abbey

Kennesaw, Georgia – Brooke Norris allowed only one unearned run and six hits to lead No. 4-seed Presbyterian to a tight 2-1 win over No. 6-seed Belmont Abbey Friday afternoon at the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex.

Presbyterian moves to 46-12 and lives to fight another day, while Belmont Abbey ends its season at 31-26.

Norris (12-2) twice allowed Belmont Abbey runners to reach second and third base with one out, but was able to wiggle out of the jam in both the second and sixth innings. The Anderson, South Carolina senior only had two strikeouts, but was able to induce 13 groundball outs to quell any Crusader rallies.

Belmont Abbey did strike first in the top of the third inning. Leigh Carter ripped a one-out double into the right centerfield gap and came around to score when Presbyterian second baseman Rachel Bailey muffed a popup after initially losing it in the sun, allowing Carter to scamper home for the 1-0 lead.

But the Lady Blue Hose answered back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead for good. Lauren Hixson started a string of four straight singles with a liner to centerfield and was followed by a single off the bat of Katie Fite. Nickie Templeton then ripped a RBI-single into left field to tie the score at 1-1. Tina Deveaux put Presbyterian on top 2-1 with a RBI-single to right centerfield.

Belmont Abbey starter Keri Blackwelder was able to hold Presbyterian the rest of the way, but the damage had been done. Blackwelder (15-14) got the loss after giving up gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out in six innings.

Presbyterian advances to play USC Spartanburg in another elimination game at 7:30. Belmont Abbey is eliminated.

Presbyterian Eliminates USC Spartanburg, 3-2, in Eight Innings

Kennesaw, GA – No. 4-seed Presbyterian scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and added a run on an acrobatic play at the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Blue Hose defeated No. 5-seed USC Spartanburg 3-2 in an elimination game at the 2004 South Atlantic Regional Championships at the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex.

The Lady Rifles (38-16) led 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but Presbyterian (47-12) rallied with two outs to tie the game. Nickie Templeton (1-for-2) singled and was followed by a pinch-hit single by Whitney Hannon (1-for-1). Haley Brooks (1-for-2) then lofted a single to left field scoring Templeton and making the score 2-1. Rachel Bailey (1-for-4) drove in the tying run on a ground ball into the hole that USC Spartanburg shortstop Tera Goswick knocked down but in which she had no play.

After the Lady Rifles’ scoreless eighth inning, Presbyterian’s Amanda Teal (2-for-4) led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Peterka. Lauren Hixson (2-for-4) followed with a slicing single into right field that didn’t look deep enough to score Teal. But Head Coach Jeff Nickerson gambled and waved Teal around third base. The throw from Lady Rifles’ right fielder Becky Albers beat Teal to the plate, but Teal faked a turn inside and slid to the outside of home plate and around the tag to score the winning run.

USC Spartanburg took the lead in the fifth inning when they scored their only two runs of the game on back-to-back bases loaded walks to Evan Miller (0-for-3) and Kacey Ayers.

Lady Blue Hose starter Megan Whellus (13-4) got the win, allowing only two hits in 3.2 innings of relief. USC Spartanburg’s Jennifer Whited (15-5) picked up the loss after retiring only one batter before giving up the winning run. Starter Kasey Heron gave up seven hits and two runs in seven innings, but got the no decision.

Presbyterian will play Armstrong Atlantic at 12:00 PM with the winner playing Kennesaw State for the 2004 South Atlantic Regional Championship at 2:30 PM.