Jefferson City, Tenn. - The Lenoir-Rhyne University Softball Team (39-8) defeated Wingate University (31-14), 3-1, on the?second day of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament Thursday morning at the Lady Eagle Complex.?

Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II, is the No. 1 seed in the tournament while Wingate is seeded fifth.

The victory keeps the Bears in the winners' bracket as L-R will take on third-seeded Catawba (31-17) Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Junior Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) threw a one-hitter while junior catcher Sarah Atkins (Newport News, Va.) delivered the game-winning, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth for the Bears.

Millwood (22-4), the 2011 conference pitcher of the year, also allowed just one unearned run while striking out four batters in the victory.

Wingate got on the board first thanks to Brittany Barrineau's (Monroe, N.C.) sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning.

The contest remained 1-0 until the Bears broke through with three runs in their half of the sixth.

L-R tied the score at one when freshman third baseman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Atkins delivered the go-ahead, two-run single which gave the Bears a 3-1 advantage.

Wingate's Allison Smith (Daleville, Va.) fell to 21-6 on the year after taking the loss despite allowing just three hits the entire contest.