Jefferson City, Tenn. - The Lenoir-Rhyne University Softball Team (40-8) advanced to the championship game of the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament with a 2-1 victory over Catawba College (31-18) Friday afternoon at the Lady Eagle Complex.

Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked eighth in NCAA Division II, will now play Catawba again in the tournament final Saturday at 1:00 p.m.? Catawba advanced to be the championship game after beating Carson-Newman by a 4-3 score in an elimination game Friday evening.

Junior pitcher Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) improved 23-4 on the year for the Bears after limiting the Indians to one run on three hits?while striking out nine batters in the win.

L-R senior shortstop Kat Rivers (Royston, Ga.) opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first inning.? Rivers would finish three-for-three on the day to lead the Bears.

The contest remained 1-0 until the Bears scored again in their half of the fourth thanks to a run-scoring single by junior second baseman Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.).

Catawba cut the lead in half at 2-1 when Carly Sabat (Warren, Ohio) scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning but L-R was able to hold on for the win.

Carpenter and sophomore designated player Megan Laxton (Taylorsville, N.C.) each added two hits for the Bears, who advanced to their second straight league tournament championship game.

Catawba's Emily Huneycutt (Locust, N.C.) fell to 17-9 on the season after suffering the loss despite allowing just two runs.? Huneycutt scattered eight hits to go along with three strikeouts.