Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship: Carson-Newman Wins Crown After Presbyterian Forces Second Title Game
April 24, 2005

SAC Sports Information Directors contributed to these releases

Presbyterian 4, Carson-Newman 2

Carson-Newman 5, Presbyterian 3

Presbyterian 4, Carson-Newman 2 Box Score

Rock Hill, SC - The Blue Hose of Presbyterian College defeated Carson-Newman College 4-2 to force an elimination game in the final round of the 2005 Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament. The Eagles are ranked 18th in the latest NCAA Division II national poll. PC improved to 35-22 with the win while C-N fell to 38-9.

Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, TN) gave the Lady Eagles a 2-0 advantage in the bottom half of the third inning when she hit a ball through the middle to plate Whitney Hickam (Knoxville, TN) and Meaghan McNutt (Knoxville, TN). Hickam doubled to lead off the inning and then McNutt singled to move her to third. LeAndrea Johnson (Chattanooga, TN) moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt down the first base line.

PC scored four runs on three hits and one C-N error in the top half of the seventh to take a 4-2 lead. Whitney Hannon (Greer, SC) and Rachel Bailey (Howard, OH) tied the game at 2-2 on an Eagle throwing error. Katie Fite (Conway, SC) then doubled to left-center field to score the go ahead runs as Lindsay Wismer (Sarasota, FL) and Haley Brooks (Tifton, GA) crossed the plate. All of Presbyterian's runs were scored with two outs in the inning. Megan Wheelus (Florence, SC) held the Eagles at bay in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the championship round to a second game as C-N entered the day undefeated in the double- elimination tournament.

Fite led PC going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Bailey and Hannon both went 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. Wheelus came in to pick up the win (8-3) in relief for the Blue Hose pitching the final three innings of the contest.

Lisa Rogers (Rossville, GA), Hickam and McNutt tallied two hits each for the Eagles. Stevens was 1- for-3 with the pair of RBI. Megan Elliott (Chattanooga, TN) took the loss (35-8) for C-N throwing all seven innings.

The tournament champion will be decided later this afternoon when the Eagles and Blue Hose meet in the elimination bracket.

Carson-Newman 5, Presbyterian 3 Box Score

Rock Hill, SC - The Carson-Newman Eagles, ranked 18th in the latest NCAA Division II poll, won the 2005 Food Lion South Atlantic Softball Tournament this afternoon with a 5-3 victory over the Presbyterian College Blue Hose in the elimination game of the championship round this afternoon at Cherry Park. It was the seventh time the Eagles have won the SAC Tournament. The last time C-N won the event was in 1998.

Carson-Newman improved to 39-9 and will advance to the NCAA Regionals earning the automatic bid for winning the conference tournament. PC fell to 35-22 on the year with the loss.

After losing the coin toss to determine home field advantage, the Eagles scored three runs in their first at bat to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Lauren McKaig (Trenton, GA) singled to right-center field to score LeAndrea Johnson (Chattanooga, TN). Johnson reached base by starting the contest off with a single up the middle. McKaig and Lisa Rogers (Rossville, GA) scored the other two runs in the inning on a Blue Hose error. All three of the runs came with two outs and two of the three scores were unearned.

C-N added a single run in the top of the third inning when Whitney Hickam (Knoxville, TN) advanced home on a Blue Hose miscue to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead. The run came with two outs on the scoreboard and was the third unearned run of the contest. Hickam reached base on a walk and then scored from first on the error.

The Eagles added an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning after Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, TN) singled down the left field line to plate Hickam. The run gave C-N a 5-0 lead.

PC scored all three of their runs in the last frame to make the final tally 5-3. Kellyn Henderson (Simpsonville, SC) singled to center field to score Lindsay Wismer (Sarasota, FL) and then Whitney Hannon (Greer, SC) singled to right field to drive in Jessica Kilpatrick (Hendersonville, NC) and Henderson.

Megan Elliott (Chattanooga, TN) threw a complete game for the Eagles scattering eight hits to lift her season record to 36-8. Hickam led the Eagles at the plate going 1-for-3 with three runs scored. McKaig went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Hannon was 1-for-4 with two RBI to lead PC. Henderson went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Jean Smith (Tampa, FL) took the loss (9-5) for the Blue Hose on the mound.