Lenoir-Rhyne Blasts Three Home Runs To Top Lincoln Memorial University 8-5 In Food Lion SAC Tournament
April 20, 2011
Courtesy of the South Atlantic Conference
JEFFERSON CITY, TN -- Top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne scored five runs on three home runs in the second inning en route to an 8-5 victory over eighth-seeded Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday in the opening round of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex.
With the win, Lenoir-Rhyne advances to face fifth-seeded Wingate on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex. Lincoln Memorial will play fourth-seeded Tusculum in an elimination game at 11:30 a.m. at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn.
The Bears, who are ranked eighth nationally, got off to a fast start, as freshman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) delivered a RBI double in the first to give Lenoir-Rhyne a 1-0 lead.
Lenoir-Rhyne seemed to take control of the contest in the second by erupting for five runs on three home runs, including back-to-back solo blasts by junior Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.) and senior Brandi Haithcock (Snow Camp, N.C.) and a three-run shot by senior Kat Rivers (Royston, Ga.).
However, the Lady Railsplitters began to chip away in the third. After Taylor McGinnis (Powell, Tenn.) drew a two-out walk, Bridget Eicher (Hicksville, Ohio) smashed a two-run home run to left center to trim the Bears’ lead to 6-2.
Lenoir-Rhyne pushed its lead to 7-2 in the home half of the third on a RBI single by Megan Laxton (Taylorsville, N.C.), but the Lady Railsplitters responded with three more runs in the fourth, as Meg Ryan (Hendersonville, Tenn.) produced a run-scoring single and Jackie Adams (Columbus, Ohio) delivered a two-run single to cut Lenoir-Rhyne’s lead to 7-5.
The Bears added an insurance run in the fifth on a RBI double by Haithcock that gave Lenoir-Rhyne an 8-5 advantage.
Lincoln Memorial threatened in the seventh inning by loading the bases with one out, but Laxton was able to retire the final two batters to seal the win and earn her third save of the season.
Each team finished with 10 hits in the contest. Atkins and Haithcock tallied two hits apiece to lead the Bears, while Rivers finished with a home run and three RBIs.
Ryan, Adams and Sarah Walz (Innisfail, Alberta) collected two hits each for the Lady Railsplitters, while Eicher finished with a home run and two RBIs. Adams also had two RBIs in the win.
Lenoir-Rhyne starting pitcher Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) earned the win to improve to 22-4 on the season. Millwood gave up five runs and seven hits and had two strikeouts in three innings of work.
LMU starting hurler Katie-Jo Gentry (Calhoun, Ga.) was tagged with the loss. Gentry (9-14) gave up eight runs on nine hits and had two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings in the circle.
Lenoir-Rhyne 8, Lincoln Memorial 5 (Apr 20, 2011 at Jefferson City, TN)
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Lincoln Memorial.... 002 300 0 - 5 10 0 (25-23)
Lenoir-Rhyne.......... 151 010 X - 8 10 0 (38-8)
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Pitchers: Lincoln Memorial - Katie-Jo Gentry; Cierra Mudd(5) and Meg Ryan. Lenoir-Rhyne -
Dawon Millwood; Megan Laxton(4) and Sarah Atkins.
Win-Dawon Millwood(22-4) Save-Megan Laxton(3) Loss-Katie-Jo Gentry(9-14) T-1:51 A-191
HR LMU - Bridget Eicher (6).
HR LRU - Kat Rivers (3); Sarah Atkins (10); Brandi Haithcock (3).
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
D. Millwood faced 6 batters in the 4th.
