Hartsville, S.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Team (44-9), ranked No. 15 in NCAA Division II, stayed hot in the opening round of the 2016 South Atlantic Championship Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Anderson (29-20) at Byerly Park Field.

The Bears, winners of nine straight games, are the top seed in this year's tournament while the Trojans are seeded eighth.  Lenoir-Rhyne takes on the winner of fourth-seeded Carson-Newman and fifth-seeded Lincoln Memorial on Friday at 12:30 p.m., in a winner's bracket contest.  Anderson faces the loser of that contest beginning at 12:30 p.m., on Friday as well.

Lenoir-Rhyne outfielder Erin Boone (Creedmoor, N.C.), this season's league freshman of the year, opened the scoring with a solo home run in the third inning and finished with three hits and two runs batted in. 

Senior third baseman Jordin Phillips (Hampstead, N.C.) added two hits and two runs batted in including a run-scoring double for the Bears, who beat the Trojans for the second time this year.

Anderson's Augie Pena (Geneva, Ala.) drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning for the Trojans' lone run but fell to 12-6 on the year after suffering the loss on the mound.

Lenoir-Rhyne senior Maryann Hoskins (Havelock, N.C.), an all-league honoree, improved to 17-6 after going the distance and striking out 10 batters.  Hoskins also allowed just four hits and one run in picking up the win.