Lenoir-Rhyne Beats Catawba Twice to Capture SAC Softball Championship Title

SALISBURY, N.C.— Lenoir-Ryhne's hot bats and Maryann Hoskins' arm powered the Bears to an 8-0 victory over Catawba in five innings to win the 2013 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship title.

Hoskins pitched five scoreless innings to earn her second victory of the day. The freshman tossed 12 scoreless innings between Lenoir-Rhyne's two victories over Catawba in today's championship round. The Bears pounded out 13 hits and scored six runs in the game's first two innings. This is the Bears' fourth-consecutive SAC Championship title. Lenoir-Rhyne earns the SAC's automatic-bid to the NCAA Regionals with a 35-14 overall record.

The Bears wasted no time getting on the board in the first, carrying over the momentum from their strong finish to game one. Back-to-back singles by Jody Mizelle and Lauren Elder put runners at the corners before an infield RBI-single by Jessica Fellmeth got L-R on the board. A bunt single by Haily Jarman loaded the bases.

An error and bases-loaded walk drawn by Brittany Coursen made the score 3-0. A sac fly by Ciera Cockerham capped off the scoring in the first and gave the Bears a 4-0 lead.

Lenoir-Rhyne kept rolling with two runs in the second. Ashley Oliver and Megan Laxton each had RBI-singles in the inning for the Bears.

An RBI-single by Laxton tacked on another run for the Bears in the fourth and made the score 7-0. Elder's RBI-single to right in the bottom of the fifth gave L-R the 8-0 run-rule victory.

Six different Bears drove in a run in the game. Hoskins scattered three hits and struck out 1 to improve to 16-6 on the season.

Catawba concludes the SAC Championship with a 32-19 overall record. Amanda Terry, Mollie Kovalcin and Gina Gerone recorded hits for the Indians.

[Game One: Lenoir-Rhyne 7, Catawba 5]

SALISBURY, N.C.— Lenoir-Rhyne rallied back from an early five-run deficit to stun Catawba 7-5 and force a second game to decide the 2013 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship.

Catawba scored four runs before L-R could get an out in the first, but the Bears battled back with four runs in the fifth and three in the seventh to force the deciding game. Ashley Oliver's two-run single to left-center in the top of the seventh put L-R on top for good. Mollie Kovalcin had two hits and two RBI's for Catawba. 

The Indians struck first in a big way. Amanda Terry coaxed a leadoff walk, which was followed by a bunt single by Holli Chandler and a single through the middle by Tara Gibbs to load the bases. A walk drawn by Sydney Hyder forced in a run and put Catawba on the board. Carley Tysinger kept the line rolling with a single through the middle before Maryann Hoskins relieved Brandi Hole with none out.

Kovalcin greeted Hoskins with a two-run single to make the score 4-0. Gina Gerone added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to cap off the scoring and make it 5-0 in favor of Catawba.

The Bears broke through in the fifth inning. Brittany Coursen struck out and reached on a passed ball to start the inning. Long followed with a single through the middle. With two on and nobody out, Jody Mizelle launched a home run to left to cut the score to 5-3. The homer was Mizelle's second of the SAC Championship.

Fellmeth kept the momentum going, drawing a walk and advancing to second on a passed ball. A Jarman infield single put runners at the corners before a single through the middle by Megan Laxton cut the score to 5-4. Tysinger knocked down a line-drive and recorded a strikeout to keep Catawba on top.

L-R completed the comeback in the seventh. Lauren Elder drew a leadoff walk, which was followed by a Fellmeth double to put runners at second and third with none out. A single through the left-side by Jarman tied the score, before Oliver gave the Bears their first lead of the day with a two-run single to left-center.

That two-run single would prove to be the game-winner, as Hoskins retired the side in the seventh. The freshman earned the victory with seven innings of scoreless relief.