Lenoir-Rhyne Tops Carson-Newman, Forces Deciding Game, In Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament

WINGATE, N.C. -- The seventh-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears forced a winner-take-all championship game by defeating second seeded and 22nd-ranked Carson-Newman College 12-4 in six innings Sunday afternoon in the 2010 Food Lion SAC Tournament. The two teams will meet again at 3:30 p.m., with the winner being crowned SAC champions.

LRU Sophomore infielder Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.) and sophomore catcher Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.) each went three-for-five with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the LRU offense. Senior designated player Ashley Duckworth (Conover, N.C.) was two-for-four with a double and four RBI, while senior outfielder Brittany Cherry (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) had a hit, RBI and two runs scored.

Senior infielder Sara Little (Calhoun, Ga.) was two-for-three with a homer and two RBI to lead the Carson-Newman offense. Senior infielder Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) was two-for-three with two RBI for the Eagles, while sophomore pitcher Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) was two-for-three with a run scored.

The Bears exploded for five runs in the first, piling up six hits. Carpenter got it started with a two-run homer in the first. Lenoir-Rhyne loaded the bases, and Duckworth cleared them with a three-run double to left center for a 5-0 lead.

Junior infielder Kat Rivers (Royston, Ga.) scored on an RBI groundout from Duckworth in the second to make it 6-0. An RBI single from sophomore infielder Brittany Davidson (Fort Defiance, Va.) in the fourth made it 7-0. Cherry drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Bears on top by eight.

The Eagles got on the board in the fourth, plating four runs. Little got it started with a two-run homer to center. Howard added a two-run single to make it 8-4.

The Bears had the answer, scoring four runs in the sixth. An RBI single from Carpenter made it 9-4. Atkins capped the scoring on the afternoon with a three-run homer to center to make it 12-4.

Freshman right-hander Alex Smith (Cocoa, Fla.) got the win, improving to 22-4 overall on the year. She allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings of work, striking out four. Shealy took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in three innings of work, falling to 15-5.