Carson-Newman Wins, Lenoir-Rhyne Falls In NCAA Softball Regional

PEMBROKE, N.C. - Carson-Newman starter Zoe Heim (Gallatin, Tenn.) fired a three-hit shutout and second baseman Whitney Hickam (Knoxville, Tenn.) added a two-run home run as top-seeded Carson-Newman beat Pfeiffer 8-0 in five innings in Game 2 of the 2008 South Atlantic Regional Tournament in Pembroke, North Carolina.

Carson-Newman (49-6) advances to face fifth-seeded Francis Marion on Thursday at 4 p.m. at LRA Field. Pfeiffer (30-22) falls to the loser's bracket and will face fourth-seeded Georgia College and State University at 11 a.m. Thursday morning.

Hickam's eighth home run of the season gives her 27 for her career, setting a new Carson-Newman school record. The fourth-inning shot was the only extra base hit by Lady Eagles, who pounded out 14 hits on the day.

Heim (WP, 31-5) worked five innings, allowed three hits and striking out six to help the Lady Eagles advance.

Carson-Newman took a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Shortstop Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) scored on a squeeze play as Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, Tenn.) laid down the sacrifice bunt to move the Lady Eagles ahead early.

Howard and senior Hickam each had singles in the inning, and freshman Jessie Kuhlman (Portage, Mich.) added a sacrifice in the inning as well, advancing Howard.

The Lady Eagles added to their lead in the third, pushing it to 3-0 after scoring twice on four singles.

Hickam, Sara Little (Calhoun, Ga.), Elisha Collins (Rutledge, Tenn.), and Amber Palmer (Kennesaw, Ga.) each found holes in the Pfeiffer defense to give C-N a three-run lead.

C-N added three more in the fourth as Hickam added a two-run home run.

The senior ripped an 0-2 offering from Pfeiffer starter Dacia Ijames (Kernersville, N.C.) out to left to push the lead to 5-0. Sophomore Brianne Coon (Orlando, Fla.) also scored on the blast, after reaching on an error earlier in the inning.

C-N grabbed its third run of the inning as Stevens singled, stole second, and came home to score on a single by sophomore Stephanie Templeton (Ringgold, Ga.) to make it 6-0.

The Lady Eagles added two more in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

Hickam's fourth hit of the day scored Howard to reach the game's final score. Palmer also had a single in the inning, her second hit of the day.

Hickam finished 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Templeton added a 3-for-3 day with a run scored and an RBI.

Second baseman Stephanie Brandt (Cincinnati, Ohio) had Pfeiffer's only extra base hit of the day, a fifth inning double. She finished 1-for2.

Ijames took the loss for the Falcons, falling to 18-13 on the year.

Postgame Quotes:

Vickee Kazee-Hollifield, Carson-Newman Head Coach

On the win: "For our first game back after long layoff, I was pleased with our timing. We hit the ball hard and executed. I'm thrilled considering we haven't played in almost three weeks.

On Whitney Hickam: "That's what seniors and All-Americans are supposed to do. She blistered the ball, but it wasn't just her. (Mandy) Stevens got us our first run on a squeeze play and Zoe pitched a shutout. You can't ask for any more than what those three gave us."

North Georgia College & State 2, Lenoir-Rhyne 0

The No. 6 North Georgia College & State University Softball Team (36-13) scored the only two runs of the game in the top of the sixth inning en route to defeating third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne College (42-13) 2-0 in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional Tournament at Lumberton Radiological Associates Field on the campus of UNC Pembroke.

With the game knotted at zero in the top of the sixth, Stephanie Farmakis (Sharpsburg, Ga.) hit a two run single to centerfield scoring Courtney McGuire (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Heidi Cranford (Dawsonville, Ga.).

The Bears were unable to respond in their final six outs of the game but forced the Saints to leave the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. L-R left four runners on base over the final four innings of the game.

Bear Senior Meredith O'Connor (Charlotte, N.C./Appalachian State Univ.) (30-10) suffered the loss on the mound despite striking out five, breaking the South Atlantic Conference record for strikeouts in a season with 320. O'Connor broke the record that she set during the 2007 campaign, when she sat down 319 batters.

Lenoir-Rhyne was led offensively by senior centerfielder Taylor Queen (Conover, N.C./St. Stephens HS), who went two-for-two with a walk.

North Georgia's Sarah Phillips (Powell, Ohio) (18-7) was credited with the complete-game shutout win as she scattered four hits over seven innings of work, striking out six.

Lenoir-Rhyne moves to the loser's bracket where it will take on No. 2 seed UNC Pembroke at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.