Hickory, N.C. - Tenth-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (26-7, 5-1) and Carson-Newman (28-11-1, 6-2) split a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Bears Field.? L-R won the first game by a 10-2 score in six innings while Carson-Newman salvaged the split with an 8-7 victory in the second contest.
Game One - Lenoir-Rhyne 10, Carson-Newman 2 (six innings)
After spotting Carson-Newman a 2-0 lead, L-R reeled off 10 straight runs to take the game one victory.
The Lady Eagles opened the scoring in the top of the fourth inning on Leah Price's (Spring City, Tenn.) two-run triple but the Bears responded with eight runs in their half of the fourth to break the game open.
A bases-loaded walk to senior outfielder Brandi Haithcock (Snow Camp, N.C.) broke a two-all tie in the frame and gave L-R the lead for good while freshman outfielder Jody Mizelle (Colerain, N.C.) added a two-run double in the inning for the Bears.
L-R ended the contest with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning capped off by an RBI single from senior shortstop Kat Rivers (Royston, Ga.).
Rivers finished with three hits and two runs batted in while sophomore first baseman Jessica Fellmeth (Waxhaw, N.C.) added three hits for Lenoir-Rhyne, who totaled 14 hits in the victory.
L-R junior Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) improved to 13-3 with the win while Carson-Newman's Mary Shealy (Clinton, S.C.) suffered the loss.
Box Score
Game Two - Carson-Newman 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 7
Shealy hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning and Carson-Newman held off a furious L-R rally to take the second contest and split the doubleheader.
Trailing 8-2, the Bears scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the margin to 8-7 but the Lady Eagles were able to escape.
Shealy added a run-scoring single in a four-run fourth inning for the Lady Eagles and finished with three RBI to lead Carson-Newman.
Back-to-back home runs by junior designated player Brittany Davidson (Fort Defiance, Va.) and Haithcock with two outs in the bottom of the seventh cut the deficit to one run but Shealy (25-9) was able to register the final out for the win.
L-R junior Lauren Harris (Yadkinville, N.C.) fell to 10-2 on the year and saw her 10-game winning streak snapped while the Bears lost for the first time in 12 contests.
Haithcock finished with three hits and two runs batted in and freshman third baseman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) and junior second baseman Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.) added three hits each in the losing effort.
In addition, Mizelle hit her team-leading 13th home run of the year in the third inning for the Bears.
Box Score
Lenoir-Rhyne hosts first-place Tusculum in a key South Atlantic Conference doubleheader Sunday at home beginning at 2:00 p.m.? Carson-Newman, meanwhile, travels to Anderson, S.C., to take on Anderson Sunday at 2:00 p.m., as well.
