Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship: Day Two Action
April 23, 2005

SAC Sports Information Directors contributed to these releases

Presbyterian 7, Wingate 1

Catawba 8, Mars Hill 0

Wingate 6, Lenoir-Rhyne 3

Carson-Newman 6, Presbyterian 1

Wingate 8, Catawba 4

Presbyterian 4, Wingate 2

Presbyterian 7, Wingate 1 Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Third-seeded Presbyterian College scored four runs in the third inning and never looked back in taking a 7-1 victory over second-seeded Wingate University in the quarterfinals of the 2005 Food Lion/South Atlantic Conference softball tournament at Cherry Park. The game was finished this morning after being halted yesterday due to rain and lightening.

Wingate (30-12) jumped on the board first with a run in the bottom of the first when Grace Cunningham (Camden, SC) led off the game with a single and scored on a single by Cameron Langston (Goldsboro, NC).

PC (33-21) took the lead for good in the top of the third with four runs on four hits.

Lauren Hixson (Spartanburg, SC) walked to lead off the inning and scored after back-to-back singles by Shannon Vining (Fayetteville, GA) and Kellyn Henderson (Simpsonville, SC). Rachel Bailey (Howard, OH) then doubled to left that scored Vining and Henderson. Jessica Peterka (Sarasota, FL) followed with a single to center that scored Bailey to give the Lady Blue Hose a 4-1 lead.

PC added to the lead with three more runs in the seventh on four hits.

With one out, Olivia Gordon (Boothwyn, PA) and Lindsay Wismer (Sarasota, FL) singled. Lauren Hixson (Spartanburg, SC) then singled to left to bring home pinch runner Amanda Carvajal (Merced, CA). Henderson plated the final two runs of the afternoon for the Lady Blue Hose with a single to center.

Samantha Slater (Westerville, OH) picked up the victory on the mound, throwing six and a third innings allowing only one run on ten hits.

Henderson led the Lady Blue Hose with three hits and three RBIs. Peterka and Gordon both had two hits to pace the PC offensive attack.

With the win, PC will move on to the semifinals to face #1 seed Carson-Newman College today at 2:00 pm. Wingate will take the field again at noon to take on Lenoir-Rhyne College in a loser's bracket contest.

Catawba 8, Mars Hill 0 Box Score

Rock Hill, SC - The Catawba College Lady Indians eliminated Mars Hill College in the 2005 Food Lion SAC Tournament Saturday afternoon at Cherry Park. Catawba improved to 27-24 with the win while MHC ends it's season with a 25-33 overall record.

Catawba jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Stacey Handy (Advance, NC) scored on a fielder's choice and Lacey Waldroop (Franklin, NC) singled to plate Jessica Rivera (Key West, FL).

The Lady Indians took a 5-0 lead after the second inning on five hits. Lyndsey Gay (Cleveland, NC), Rivera and Jacqueline White (Mt. Ulla, NC) each had an RBI in the inning.

Catawba added two more runs in the fourth inning after White doubled down the left field line Jenn Mehl (West Creek, NJ) scored on a Lion error. The Lady Indians scored their final run in the sixth inning when Jessica Hull (Westfield, NJ) singled to left field to drive in Mehl.

Rivera and White each had two hits and two RBI to lead Catawba to victory. White hit two doubles while Rivera posted one double in the contest. Waldroop went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Lindsay Ettinger (Pasadena, MD) threw six innings to pick up the win (21-13) on the mound for Catawba.

Kristina Osborn (Birmingham, AL) went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Lions. Amy Whitley (Booneville, MS) was 1-for-4. Kristi Marszalec (West Bloomfield, MI) took the loss (12-15) on the mound for the Lions.

Catawba will face No. 2 seed Wingate University at 2 p.m. The winner of that game plays the loser of the 2 p.m. game between No. 1 seed Carson-Newman College and No. 3 seed Presbyterian College.

Wingate 6, Lenoir-Rhyne 3 Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. -Wingate received a masterful starting pitching performance from Lauren Powell (Midlothian, Va.), as the Bulldogs defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 6-3, in the consolation bracket of the 2005 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament. Wingate (31-12) advances to face Catawba College today at 2 p.m. at Cherry Park, while L-R concludes its season at 35-16-1.

Powell pitched six complete innings, surrendering only one earned run and four hits, while fanning three L-R batters.

Wingate would jump on the board in the bottom of the opening inning, when Sarah Carleton (Powhatan, Va.) jacked an opposite field solo home run to give the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead. Carleton went 1-for-3 for the game with one RBI.

The Bulldogs would extend their lead in the fourth, after a bases-loaded triple from Katie Parmalee (Norwalk, Conn.) extended the Bulldog lead to 4-0.

The rout was on in the fifth, as Wingate's leadoff hitter Grace Cunningham (Camden, S.C.) hit the second home run of the day off Lenoir-Rhyne starter Alexis Kreske (Miami, Fla.), giving the Bulldogs a commanding 5-0 lead. Later that inning, Megan McPhail (Fayetteville, N.C.) crushed an RBI-double to right center to further Wingate's cushion to 6-0.

McPhail was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Bulldogs.

L-R's Kreske, a first team All-SAC selection as a pitcher, was shelled for seven hits and six runs by the Wingate offense.

Powell would run into a spot of trouble in the sixth, as L-R would get on the board courtesy of a Chrissy Lunsford (Tyrone, Ga.) RBI-single, cutting the Wingate lead to 6-1. The Bears would go on to load the bases, but Powell would get Kreske to ground out to second base to end the L-R threat.

The Bears would pick up two runs in their half of the seventh off of Wingate reliever Ashley Green (Charleston, S.C.), but it was not enough as the Bulldogs would survive to see another game.

Wingate shortstop Cameron Langston (Goldsboro, N.C.) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Kreske, who batted in the L-R seven-hole, went 2-for-3 from the plate.

Carson-Newman 6, Presbyterian 1 Box Score

Rock Hill, SC - No. 1 seed Carson-Newman College advanced to the Championship Game of the 2005 Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament with a 6-1 victory over the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College this afternoon at Cherry Park. C-N improved to 38-8 while the Blue Hose fell to 33-22.

PC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning after Whitney Hannon (Greer, SC) singled up the middle to plate Kellyn Henderson (Simpsonville, SC). Henderson reached base on an intentional walk.

C-N took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the fifth on a two-RBI double by Erin Rutherford (Knoxville, TN). The double to right-center drove in Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, TN) and LeAndrea Johnson (Chattanooga, TN). Johnson singled up the middle to get on base and Stevens reached on a fielder's choice.

The Eagles took a 6-1 advantage in the bottom of the sixth inning on three hits and one Blue Hose error. Johnson singled to score Kim Thorne (Dalton, GA) and then Meaghan McNutt (Knoxville, TN) scored on a PC error to make the score 4-1. Stevens then scored Johnson on an infield single and later advanced to the plate on a fielder's choice to make the final tally, 6-1.

Rutherford led C-N going 1-for-3 with a two-RBI double. Johnson, Stevens, Lisa Rogers (Rossville, GA) and McNutt each recorded two hits in the win. Rogers also hit a double in the contest. Megan Elliott threw a complete game scattering six hits allowing just a single run to pick up the win (35-7) on the mound.

Lauren Hixson (Spartanburg, SC) went 2-for-3 to lead PC. Hannon was 1-for-4 with an RBI single. Samantha Slater (Westerville, OH) got the loss (11-6) in five innings of work.

C-N advances to the Championship game tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Cherry Park. The Eagles will meet the winner of the consolation game between No. 2 seed Wingate University and Presbyterian that will played later this afternoon.

Wingate 8, Catawba 4 Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Wingate University exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning, as the Bulldogs vanquished Catawba College 8-4 to move on in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament. Wingate (32-12) advances to play second-seeded Presbyterian College at 4 p.m. at Cherry Park, while Catawba College concludes its season at 27-25.

Wingate's corner infielders, first baseman Sarah Carleton (Powhatan, Va.) and third baseman Carey Bumgardner (Mechanicsville, Va.) combined to go 4-for-8 from the plate with four total RBI.

Catawba notched the opening runs of the contest in the first inning, as Stacey Handy (Advance, N.C.) scored courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Jacqueline White (Mt. Ulla, N.C.), giving the Indians a 1-0 lead. The Tribe would extend their lead in that inning to 2-0, after an RBI-single from Liz Corbett (Severn, Md.).

Handy went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Indians. Corbett also had a productive day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI to her credit.

The Indians would add another run in the bottom of third, after a White single to left center scored Jessica Rivera (Key West, Fla.), extending their lead to 3-0. White went 1-for-3 in the game, and knocked in three of Catawba's four runs.

The Wingate bats, held at bay for most of the game by Catawba starting pitcher Shannon Handy (Advance, N.C.), exploded in the fourth inning as the Bulldogs plated seven runs on eight hits. Mandi Chester (Charlotte, N.C.) and Carleton hit RBI-doubles in the inning, while both Megan McPhail (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Bumgardner would notch RBI-singles.

McPhail went 3-for-4 in the game with a run scored and an RBI. Wingate shortstop Cameron Langston (Goldsboro, N.C.) also went 3-for-4 in the contest.

Wingate pitcher Lauren Powell (Midlothian, Va.) entered the game in the second inning and picked up the win in relief. Powell gave up two runs on five hits in six innings of work. She struck out six and walked two.

Presbyterian 4, Wingate 2 Box Score

Rock Hill, SC - The Presbyterian College Blue Hose eliminated the Bulldogs of Wingate University this afternoon in the fifth round of the 2005 Food Lion SAC Tournament on Saturday afternoon. PC will face No. 1 seed Carson-Newman College tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Cherry Park. The Eagles are undefeated in the tournament so far. If PC beats C-N in the 1 p.m. contest they will have to play another game at 3 p.m. to determine the tournament champion.

PC took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on four hits and one Wingate error. Olivia Gordon (Boothwyn, PA) singled to right field to score Lauren Hixon (Spartanburg, SC) for the first run of the game. Kellyn Henderson (Simpsonville, SC) then singled to plate Gordon and Katie Fite (Conway, SC) went home on the same play after an error by the Bulldogs pitcher to account for the third run of the inning.

Wingate trimmed the Blue Hose lead to 3-1 in the top of the third inning after Sarah Carleton (Powhatan, VA) hit a ball through the left side to drive in Grace Cunningham (Camden, SC). Cunningham singled to reach base, was moved to second on a base hit by Carey Bumgardner (Mechanicsville, VA) and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch.

Wingate cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning after Bumgardner scored on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Langston (Goldsboro, NC). Bumgardner hit a one-out single to reach base and then advanced to third on a couple of wild pitches.

PC added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning after Jessica Kilpatrick (Hendersonville, NC) scored on a Bulldog error. Kilpatrick pinch ran for Fite who reached first on a single to right-center. Kilpatrick moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gordon and then scored from second on the throwing error.

Fite led the Blue Hose going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Gordon was 1-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI. Henderson was also 1-for-2 with an RBI. Jean Smith (Tampa, FL) threw five innings to pick up her ninth win (9-4) on the season. Megan Wheelus (Florence, SC) threw the final two innings to record her sixth save on the year.

Bumgardner went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead Wingate. Megan McPhail (Fayetteville, NC) was 2- for-4 at the plate. Carleton and Langston each had an RBI for the Bulldogs in the contest. Lauren Powell (Midlothian, VA) threw six innings to take the loss (13-5) for Wingate on the mound.