Francis Marion Knocks Out Carson-Newman From NCAA DII Softball Regional

DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Fourth-seeded Francis Marion eliminated fifth-seeded Carson-Newman with a 5-4 victory on Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional 2 Softball Tournament at Haines and Carolyn Hill Softball Stadium.

Patriots' designated player Cea Knox drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Ashley Jaramillo for the game-winning run. The contest lasted nearly five hours due to a pair of lengthy rain delays.

With the loss, the Lady Eagles season comes to an end. Francis Marion (36-15) advances to tonight's championship game to face top-seeded North Georgia.

C-N collected nine hits for the game, including two hits from senior shortstop Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.).

The Patriots tallied eight hits. Jessica Birchmeier led the way with a pair of two-run home runs, while Kat Beauvais and Michaela Wolf added two hits in the win.

Wolf (21-9) picked up the win in the circle after giving up two earned runs and nine hits and striking out six in seven innings of work.

C-N starting pitcher Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) took the loss. Shealy (16-8) surrendered five runs and eight hits and walked five in 6 2/3 innings in the circle.

The Lady Eagles broke a scoreless tie in the fourth, as a pinch-hit RBI sacrifice fly by Amy Lawrence gave C-N a 1-0 lead, but the Patriots answered in the home half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead on a two-run blast to center field by Birchmeier.

C-N rallied for three runs in the sixth to regain the lead. After Ashley Boyd (Chattanooga, Tenn.) singled to spark the rally, pinch runner Kim Whaley (Maryville, Tenn.) scored on an error to tie the contest. Howard then produced a RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Lady Eagles a 4-2 advantage.

However, Birchmeier struck again in the bottom of the sixth with her second two-run home run of the game to knot the contest at four, setting up Knox's game-winning bases loaded walk in the seventh.

The Lady Eagles wrap up their season with a 37-12 record after making a South Atlantic Conference record sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Carson-Newman 2, Queens 0

DAHLONEGA, Ga. - Sophomore Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) fired a three-hitter and went 2-for-3, including a solo home run, to lead fifth-seeded Carson-Newman to a 2-0 victory over eighth-seeded Queens (N.C.) on Sunday morning in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional 2 Softball Tournament at Haines and Carolyn Hill Softball Stadium.

With the win, the Lady Eagles (37-11) advance to face fourth-seeded Francis Marion today at 12:30 p.m. The Patriots defeated C-N, 5-0, in the opening round on Friday. Queens (26-25) was eliminated with the loss.

Shealy (16-6) scattered three hits across seven innings of work and had two strikeouts to record the shutout win. She also had a strong day at the plate to lead the Lady Eagles, as she drove in both of C-N's runs with a RBI single and a solo blast.

Ashley Boyd (Chattanooga, Tenn.) also went 2-for-3 for the Lady Eagles, who finished the contest with six hits.

Queens starting pitcher Chantel Dodge was tagged with the loss after surrendering two runs and six hits in seven innings in the circle.

The Lady Eagles got things going in the top of the second, as Shealy roped a RBI single to center field to give C-N a 1-0 lead.

Shealy gave the Lady Eagles a 2-0 advantage in the fifth by launching a solo home run to left field, and then she took care of the rest in the circle by allowing just one hit over the final three innings.