Friday, April 20, 2007

WINGATE DEFEATS TUSCULUM SOFTBALL 6-1, PIONEERS END SEASON AT 29-25

CLINTON, S.C. ---- Third-seeded Wingate eliminated eighth-seeded Tusculum College from the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament with a 6-1 victory on Friday afternoon at the PC Softball Complex.

Tusculum's exit leaves four teams in the event with the top three advancing (No. 1 L-R, No. 2 C-N and No. 3 Wingate) to Saturday. Seventh-seeded Mars Hill is the lowest seed in the final four.

Wingate (35-19) will face off against Mars Hill in an elimination contest on Saturday in the first game of the day at 11:45 a.m.

Wingate was led in the victory by Courtney Wagner (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), who finished the game a perfect 3-for-3. Wagner secured two RBI, scored a run and picked up two of her three hits on doubles.

The junior was one of four Wingate players to finish with multi-hit contests. Celina Rocha (Baytown, Texas) had three RBI on two hits, second team All-SAC selection Joy Henry (Virginia Beach, Va.) pounded out two hits and scored a run and LaRonda McClain (Kings Mountain, N.C.) finished with a run scored and a RBI.

Anna Johnson (Jonesborough, Tenn.) led the Pioneers in the contest, hitting a home run in the first inning to give TC an early 1-0 advantage.

Ashley Green (27-14) picked up the win in the circle for the Bulldogs, striking out six Pioneers.

Tusculum (29-25) posted an 11-win improvement over last season's 18-32-1 campaign.

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