Lady Eagles stay alive with 4-3 victory over Mars Hill in Food Lion SAC Tournament
MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Senior Amber Hewitt (Ringgold, Ga.) delivered a walk-off single to left field in the ninth inning to score freshman Dariayn Wright (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) for the winning run, as the second-seeded Carson-Newman softball team staved off elimination with a thrilling 4-3 victory over sixth-seeded Mars Hill in game six of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament at Walters State Community College.
MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Senior Amber Hewitt (Ringgold, Ga.) delivered a walk-off single to left field in the ninth inning to score freshman Dariayn Wright (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) for the winning run, as the second-seeded Carson-Newman softball team staved off elimination with a thrilling 4-3 victory over sixth-seeded Mars Hill in game six of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament at Walters State Community College.
Wright set up Hewitt's game-winning hit with a leadoff triple off the right-field fence. Hewitt then sent a single to shallow left field to keep C-N's season alive.
With the win, the Lady Eagles will face fifth-seeded Wingate in an elimination game at 2 p.m. today at the Lady Eagle Softball Complex. Mars Hill concludes its season at 29-20.
C-N took a 1-0 lead in the first, as junior Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) sent a solo blast to right-center.
Mars Hill grabbed the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. After senior Ashley Seawell (Asheboro, N.C.) drew a walk, junior Natalie Haithcox (Asheboro, N.C.) delivered a two-run home run to left field to give the Lions a 2-1 lead.
C-N knotted the game at 2-2 in the fifth on a solo shot by Wright, but Mars Hill regained the lead in the sixth on a RBI single by Jade Bullins (Danbury, N.C.).
The Lady Eagles tied the game again in the home half of the sixth on a RBI double by freshman Sara Kelley (Birchwood, Tenn.).
After the teams went scoreless during the next two innings, the Lady Eagles won the game in the ninth on Hewitt's run-scoring single.
C-N collected 11 hits for the game, including a 3-for-4 effort from junior Kim Whaley (Maryville, Tenn.). Wright and sophomore Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) finished with two hits apiece.
Mars Hill tallied seven hits. Haithcox, Bullins and Ashley McCurry (Asheville, N.C.) each had two hits in the loss.
Shealy (34-12) earned the win after giving up three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.
Mars Hill's Hannah Light (Coeburn, Va.) was tagged with the loss. Light (6-8) surrendered one run and four hits in 4 1/3 innings in the circle.
