SAVANNAH, Ga. - Armstrong sophomore designated hitter Rachel Reynolds' walk-off home run lifted fourth-ranked and host Armstrong Atlantic State to a 6-5 win past Anderson in 11 innings in the opening game of the 2013 NCAA Division II Softball Southeast Super Regional Friday afternoon at the Armstrong Softball Field.

Anderson (40-14) had rallied with three runs on the strength of a pair of homers to even game in the seventh frame and send the contest to extra innings - just the Trojans' second extra-inning game of the season.

With the win, Armstrong (41-8-1) took the early edge in the best two-of-three series, with Anderson needing to win both games of Saturday's doubleheader in order to advance to the NCAA National Championship. The Trojans, who are making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, are bidding to become the first team from the South Atlantic Conference to earn a berth in the series.

Anderson threatened in the top of the first inning, as sophomore Jessica Neidigh drew a lead-off walk and stole second on a 1-1 pitch to teammate Danielle Swygert, marking her team-leading 20th stolen base of the season. But with Neidigh in scoring position, Pirate senior right-hander hurler Megan Barnwell settled down to retire the next three Trojan hitters.

Armstrong took a one-run edge in the bottom of the frame, with AASU senior Shelby Duff leading off with a double to left-center. She advanced to third when an illegal pitch was called on Anderson junior pitcher Lauren Bell and following a walk by freshman Payton Roth, sophomore Alexis Mercer bounced to the right side of the infield. Neidigh fired the throw to Laura Jansky, who tagged out a sliding Duff, as Roth moved to third. Mercer swiped second and freshman Hannah Reppert drove Roth home with a single back up the middle. Mercer also attempted to score, but Jansky took center fielder Molly Child's throw to the plate and held on to the ball, while applying the tag despite the ensuing collision at the plate for the second consecutive out at the plate.

AU threatened again in the second frame, as sophomores Bri Cason and Rebecca Martin drew back-to-back two-out walks - AU's third base on balls in the opening two innings, but the Trojans were unable to capitalize.

Armstrong's Celia Blome was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the second inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on sophomore pinch-hitter Bridget Devlin's bases-loaded walk with two outs to boost the Pirate's advantage to 2-0.

Neidigh recorded the Trojans' potent offense's first hit of the afternoon by ripping a shot off the shortstop's glove to lead off the third and moved to third on a passed ball. Swygert followed by drawing Anderson's fourth walk of afternoon and junior Abby Child bounced to third, with Neidigh sliding home to beat the throw and trim the deficit to one run. Swygert moved to third and Child moved into scoring position at second on a Pirate miscue on the play, representing the tying and go-ahead runs with no outs. But Barnwell again worked out of the jam, as AU stranded five runners through the first three innings.

AASU pushed out to a 4-1 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, with freshman Haley Ellis leading off with line-drive single to left field. Pinch runner Heather Ellis moved to second when junior Kacie Patterson laid down a bunt that the Trojan defense was unable to field cleanly, putting two runners on with no outs. Duff sacrificed both runners into scoring position and following a pair of fielders choices, Mercer tapped a slow roller down the first base line and the throw home was high, giving the Pirates a 3-1 lead and Reppert bounced into fielder's choice to Child at shortstop to plate the Pirates second run of the inning and give the home team the three-run advantage.

Neidigh led off the top of the top of the fifth inning with her second walk of the contest and trimmed the deficit to two when Swygert followed by lacing her 14th double of the season to right-center. But Armstrong answered with back-to back one-out singles wide of third base, giving the Pirates a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the fifth, and Duff's single back up the middle plated Reynolds to boost AASU's cushion back to three, at 5-2.

Trojan junior Bailey Smith began the sixth frame with a double to deep left field and junior Charlotte Sieber notched a two-out out walk to put two runners on, but Anderson was unable to draw any closer.

The first two batters reached base for the Pirates in the sixth, but Smith, who entered the circle in relief in the fifth inning, retired the Pirates on a fly out, a strikeout and a foul fly down the left-field line to end the threat.
AU's bats woke up in the seventh inning, as Swygert pulled a single to right to ignite the rally. One out later, Molly Child blasted her eighth home run of the season beyond the fence in right field to pull the Trojans within 5-4 and Smith tied the contest with a solo shot to straightaway center - her ninth round-tripper of the campaign.

A pair of Pirates reached base in both the seventh and eighth innings, but the Trojans escaped damage each time, with AU threatening in the top of the 10th inning. Smith was hit by a pitch to start the frame, with senior Kelly McInnes pinch-running. Cason moved McInnes to second with a sacrifice bunt and Rebecca Martin's line drive single to left put runners at first and third. With two outs, Neidigh ripped a sinking line drive to center that Duff corralled knee-high for the third out.

The Trojans were retired in order in the top of the 11th inning, setting up the right-handed hitting Reynolds' heroics.

Armstrong out-hit the Trojans, 14-8, in the series opener, with each team committing one error. AU stranded 11 runners on the afternoon, while the Pirates left 16 runners on base.

Neidigh finished the afternoon 2-for-4 and added a pair of walks, while scoring twice. Smith reached base three times, including a double and the game-tying home run. Swygert was 2-for-5, scored once and drove in a run. Molly Child posted the seventh-inning two-run homer.

Smith (18-8) suffered the loss for Anderson, while giving up one run on six hits over 5 1/3 innings of work in relief. She struck out two and walked one. Barnwell (26-4) earned the victory with her 19th complete game of the season. She surrendered five earned runs on eight hits, while striking out six and walking six.

Anderson and Armstrong will get back on the on the diamond Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for noon at the Armstrong Softball Field.

The winner of the Super Regional will join the other seven super regional winners in the NCAA Championship, which is scheduled to be held May 23-27 at the Moyer Complex in Salem, Va., and will be hosted by the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.