Lions Eliminated from SAC Championship
April 20, 2012GREENEVILLE, TENN.-- Carson-Newman used a six-run fifth inning to break open a tight game and earned a 10-4 victory over Mars Hill at Chuckey Doad High School. The loss eliminated Mars Hill from the 2012 Food Lion SAC Softball Championship Tournament.
Mary Shealy homered twice, drove in six runs, and tossed a complete game to lead Carson-Newman to the victory. Sara Kelley added a two-run homer for the Eagles. Natalie Haithcox slammed her 18th home run of the season in her final game as a Lion. The Eagles advance to face the loser of the Anderson-Catawba matchup in an elimination game at 6 p.m.
Shealy started the scoring for Carson-Newman in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly, and later added a solo homer in the top of the fourth to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Carson-Newman broke the game open in the top of the fifth with six runs. The Eagles loaded the bases on a Bethany Davis walk, an error, and a walk drawn by Bri Shoemaker. Shealy struck again to clear the bases with a grand slam to make the score 6-0. Kelley added a two-run home run two batters later to cap the scoring in the inning.
Haithcox's home run in the bottom of the fifth cut the lead to 8-1, but the Eagles responded with two more in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run single by Shoemaker to make the score 10-1.
Mars Hill put together a rally in the bottom of the sixth. Ashley McCurry reached on an error, and a Stephanie McGrath single put two runners on with none out. Robyn Stanek brought in a run with an RBI-single. A walk to Haithcox loaded the bases with one out, but the only run the Lions were able to push across came on an RBI-groundout by Shaundee Woosley.
McGrath added an RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh for the Lions. McGrath had two hits in the game for MHC.
Shealy allowed two earned runs and struck out six to earn the victory for the Eagles.
Mars Hill concludes its season with a 22-24 record.
