March 25, 2008

Carson-Newman And Lenoir-Rhyne Split A South Atlantic Conference Softball Doubleheader

Bears are now 26-9 on the year and 3-1 in league play

Jefferson City, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman College Softball Team (29-5, 5-1) shut out No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne College (26-9, 3-1), 4-0 in game one, and the Bears held off a couple of late-inning threats to beat the Lady Eagles, 3-2 in game two, as the two teams split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon in Jefferson City, Tenn.

Game One - Carson-Newman 4, Lenoir-Rhyne 0
Senior Zoe Heim (18-3) fired a four-hit shutout and sophomore Sara Little blasted a two-run home run to lift the Lady Eagles to a 4-0 win in game one.

Heim allowed just four hits, all singles, while fanning 10, running her scoreless innings streak to 28. She surrendered only one walk, and only two Bears’ reached second base.

Little delivered the decisive blow in the third. The Calhoun, Georgia native drove a 3-0 offering from L-R starter Meredith O’Connor (Charlotte, N.C./Appalachian State University) over the centerfield fence to give the Lady Eagles a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Eagles added an insurance run in the fourth. Sophomore Jessie Howard singled and stole second to give C-N a runner in scoring position. She later scored on a double by Whitney Hickam.

Amber Palmer and Howard each led C-N with two hits.

O'Connor suffered the loss despite striking out nine batters.

Box Score

Game Two - Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Carson-Newman 2
O’Connor (16-6) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning as the Bears held off the Lady Eagles late to win 3-2 in the nightcap. O'Connor limited Carson-Newman to just three hits while striking out eight.

Lenoir-Rhyne grabbed the lead early, taking advantage of a botched fielder’s choice and a pair of walks, to plate three in the third. Carson-Newman (29-5) starter Zoe Heim surrendered three runs in the third, ending her scoreless innings streak at 30, as L-R seized control in game two.

Senior centerfielder Taylor Queen (Conover, N.C./St. Stephens HS) and sophomore third baseman Lauren Johnson (Manchester, Va./Chesterfield HS)  each delivered RBI singles in the inning to give the Bears a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Eagles ended O’Connor’s no-hit bid in the fifth, as catcher Amber Palmer singled to right with one out. Sophomore Stephanie Templeton followed with a towering two-run blast to left to quickly cut the Bears’ lead to one at 3-2 but Carson-Newman couldn't get any closer.

Queen finished with two RBI to lead the Bears offensively.

Box Score

Lenoir-Rhyne next travels to Wingate, N.C., to face Wingate in a SAC doubleheader Thursday beginning at 2 p.m.