SAC Softball Championship Day One Recaps

No. 5 Catawba 4, No. 4 Carson-Newman 1

SALISBURY, N.C.— Carley Tysinger’s pitching and a pair of clutch hits by Amanda Terry led Catawba to a 4-1 victory over Carson-Newman in the First Round of the 2013 Food Lion SAC Softball Championship, held Thursday at Whitley Field.

Terry homered drove in all four of Catawba’s runs with a 2-4 performance at the plate. Tysinger allowed an earned run on three hits and struck out struck out nine to earn the victory for the Indians. Elayna Siebert homered for Carson-Newman. Catawba advances to face Tusculum or Lincoln Memorial tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at Whitley Field. Carson-Newman will face the loser of that game at 9:00 a.m. at Salisbury Community Park.

The Indians broke through in the top of the second. An infield single by Mollie Kovalcin, a single to center by Kelsey Burgess and a walk drawn by Gina Gerone loaded the bases with one out. A line-drive double to the right-center field gap by Terry cleared the bases and gave Catawba a 3-0 lead.

Terry gave the Indians an insurance run with a solo homer to left field in the top of the seventh. The homer was Terry’s third of the season.

Siebert’s solo homer got Carson-Newman on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Siebert’s homer was her second of the season and snapped a streak of 16-consecutive batters retired by Tysinger.

The Eagles threatened to score more in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate with two out, but Tysinger was able to end the game with a strikeout. Tysinder improved her record to 23-8 on the season. 

No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, No. 6 Mars Hill 4

SALISBURY, N.C.— Jessica Fellmeth's walk-off three-run homer lifted Lenoir-Rhyne to a 6-4 victory over Mars Hill in the 2013 Food Lion SAC Tournament First Round, held Thursday at Whitley Field.

Fellmeth's three-run homer gave the Bears the victory in the final inning after Mars Hill had rallied from three down to take the lead. Fellmeth was a perfect 4-4 at the plate on the day. Shaundee Woosley had two RBI's to pace the Lions. Lenoir-Rhyne advances to face the winner of Anderson-Wingate tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at Whitley Field. Mars Hill will face the loser of the same game at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow at Salisbury Community Park.

The Bears were able to manufacture a pair of runs to get on the board in the fourth. An infield single by Fellmeth and a bunt single by Haily Jarman put runners on first and second with none out. A sacrifice bunt by Megan Laxton moved both runners into scoring position before Chelsey Long ripped a single through the middle to make the score 2-0.

A two-out rally led to Lenoir-Rhyne's next run in the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Lauren Elder and Fellmeth put runners at the corners. Jarman ripped a single to short to score a run and make the score 3-0.

The Lions responded with a two-out rally of their own in the top of the sixth. Jamie Hockaday worked a walk. After a Taylor Morris double, Taylor Jordan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single to left-center by Woosley cut the score to 3-2. Brandi Hole relieved starter Maryann Hoskins and induced a groundout to get out of the jam.

A bloop double by Ashley McCurry and single through the right side by Brittany Gibson put runners at the corners with one out in the Lion seventh. McCurry came in to score on a wild pitch, with Gibson taking third on the play. After an intentional walk and a strikeout, Morris singled to right to give MHC a 4-3 lead.

A leadoff-single by Jody Mizelle and a double by Elder set the stage for Fellmeth's walk-off homer. The home run was the senior's third of the season.

No. 7 Wingate 4, No. 2 Anderson 0

SALISBURY, N.C.— Stacey Houser tossed a two-hit shutout to lead seventh-seed Wingate to a 4-0 upset victory over second-seeded Anderson in the First Round of the 2013 Food Lion SAC Softball Championship, held Thursday at Whitley Field.

Houser held the Trojans, the top offensive team in the conference, to just four baserunners over seven innings. Kelsey Maffucci homered and doubled, while Kayla Saliga added two hits and a homer for the Bulldogs. Wingate advances to face third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. at Whitley Park. Anderson will face Mars Hill in an elimination game at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at Salisbury Community Park.

Wingate wasted no time getting on the board as Maffucci hit the second pitch of the game over the wall in left to put the Bulldogs up 1-0. Maffuci's homer was her third of the season.

The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the second. Emily Usiak drew a one out walk. After a fielder's choice, Kasey Pendley doubled deep down the right field line to drive in the run and give WU a 2-0 lead.

Saliga gave Wingate a 3-0 lead with a two-out solo blast in the top of the fourth. The homer was Saliga's fourth of the season. Saliga led off Wingate's seventh with a single, and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.

Those runs proved to be more than enough for Houser. The freshman struck out two and improved to 21-10 on the season with the victory.

Bri Cason and Jessica Neidigh each had a hit to lead AU.

No. 1 Tusculum 2, No. 8 Lincoln Memorial 1

SALISBURY, N.C.— Tusculum prevailed in a 2-1 pitcher's duel over Lincoln Memorial in the First Round of the 2013 SAC Softball Championship, held Thursday at Whitley Park.

Kelly King pitched a complete game, scattered five hits and struck out seven to earn the victory for the Pioneers. Samantha Smith of LMU nearly matched King, allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out four. Tusculum advances to face Catawba in 11:30 a.m. tomorrow's second round action at Whitley Field. Lincoln Memorial will face Carson-Newman in an elimination bracket game tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. at Salisbury Community Park.

King and Samantha Smith traded zeroes over the first four frames, with each pitcher working out of a couple early jams to keep the game scoreless.

Tusculum broke through in the bottom half of the fifth. Leah Powell split the right-center gap with a on- out double. Kruel followed with a double to the left-center gap to make the score 1-0 in favor of TC.

The Railsplitters responded in the sixth. Cierra Mudd drew a one-out walk. After a foul out, pinch-hitter Danae Reed singled through the left side to extend the inning. Kelly Dreier then dropped a perfectly-placed single over short to score Mudd to tie the score.

A leadoff double by Kaytlin Stroinski put the Pioneers in business in their half of the sixth. Lindsey Umberger reached on a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners. Stroinski came in to score on a double-steal to give TC the 2-1 lead.

LMU did not go quietly in the seventh. Kirstin Toole led off with a single. Amanda Snow followed with what looked like a bloop single to center, but Pioneer center-fielder Katie Brennan narrowly threw out Toole at second to keep a runner at first with one out. King rallied to get out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts to preserve the victory.