Bears defeat Georgia College & State

Erin Evans singled with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday to score Carlee Carpenter and lift Lenoir-Rhyne University to a 3-2 win over Georgia College & State at Bears Field in the first round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.

The Bears (37-11) play Carson-Newman (30-15) in a winner's bracket game today at 11 a.m. at Bears Field in the second day of the double-elimination tournament.

Georgia College & State (31-23) meets USC Aiken (34-15) today at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game.
Friday's victory was L-R's first in NCAA regional play since a victory over Armstrong Atlantic State in 2006.

"I knew that we needed that run," said Evans, who had in mind some advice she got last week from an assistant coach when she went to the plate.

"Brooke (Starnes) said just go up there and think of it as a normal at-bat and take it pitch by pitch," said Evans. "And that's what I was remembering in my head."

Carpenter started the eighth inning by reaching on a fielding error by shortstop Lindsey Swanson. She advanced to second on Sarah Atkins' single to get in position to score the winning run.

"This was a big win for us," said Evans. "I think some of our players had doubts… and this win showed us what we can do."

The Bears had lost five straight NCAA postseason games, and the win also snapped a three-game losing streak to Georgia College & State (31-23).

"This was a good win," said L-R head coach Shena Hollar. "We hadn't won a game in the regionals in the last two years, and that was our first goal — to get a win in the first game."

Lenoir-Rhyne is 1-2 against Carson-Newman this year, and lost the last meeting 10-1 in the second round of the South Atlantic Conference tournament at L-R on April 24.

"I reminded the players before we left the huddle that's not what we do and how we play," said Hollar referring to the 10-1 loss. "We look to avenge that loss (today).

"Carson-Newman is playing well, but their pitching is not as good as what we faced today."

After both teams were retired in order in the seventh to force extra innings, the Bobcats appeared to be on the brink of taking the lead until a pinch-hitting move by head coach Ginger Chaffinch backfired.

The Bobcats had runners at first and second with one out and Sabrina Chandler, who was 2-for-3 and hitting .353 entering the regional, was coming to the plate.

Chaffinch opted to insert Haley Burnett, who was hitting .196 entering the regional.

Burnett flied out to left for the second out, then Allison Schwimer hit into a fielder's choice as Anna Parker, who had reached on an error, was retired at third on a force play for the third out.

"Burnett has good power and I thought she could get one in the gap," said Chaffinch. "I was really trying to score both runners on base.

"Sabrina is a good contact hitter and could have probably got us something over the infielder's head but I was trying to get in both runs."

It wasn't a pretty game defensively. The teams combined for seven errors, five by the Bears and two by the Bobcats.

Of the combined five runs scored, all were unearned.

Noel Belk (16-3) earned the win, and Mandy Chandler (26-14) took the loss.

CARSON-NEWMAN 6, USC AIKEN 5: Whitney Kee singled with no outs in the top of the ninth inning, scoring Stephanie Templeton with the winning run. Templeton had doubled.

USC Aiken was the team that wouldn't go away quietly as the Pacers rallied from two two-run deficits before falling in the ninth.

Carson-Newman led 3-1 after 4 1/2 innings only to have the Pacers tie it at 5 in the bottom of the fifth, and then regained the lead at 5-3 with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Templeton (10-2) retired USC Aiken in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.

Carson-Newman pushed scored six runs on three hits in its final three at-bats, while USC Aiken which finished with 11 hits, managed just two runs on three hits over the final three innings.

Toni Flessate (18-7) took the loss.