HICKORY, N.C. – Anderson University Softball (38-12, 17-5 SAC) secured a set of victories on Friday, defeating No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne 8-5 and No. 3 Carson-Newman 9-8 to secure a spot in the South Atlantic Conference Championship game.
"I've said it all season long, this team doesn't quit!" said head coach
Kelly Roberts. "I'm so proud of the way they hung together the entire day."
The Trojans had a slow start to open game one against Lenoir-Rhyne, allowing three runs in the bottom of the fourth for the Bears to take the initial lead. Anderson rallied in the fifth, scoring four runs with doubles to the outfield by seniors
Carson Hobbs (Nicholson, Ga.) and
Lauren Brakovec (Farragut, Tenn.). The Black and Gold tallied another four runs to stretch the advantage. Anderson held the Bears scoreless until a double to left field late in the seventh that drove in two, narrowing the gap 8-5 for a Trojan victory.
Hobbs led the Trojans with three RBI off a single hit while Junior
Kadence Barrick (Phenix City, Ala.) went 3-for-4 from the plate with a single RBI added to the team's final tally. In the circle Hobbs also notched her 12th victory of the season on the mound. The Nicholson native pitched 3.1 innings while recording five strikeouts for a perfect 0.00 ERA. Freshman
Kora Kilgore (Smithville, Tenn.) also made an appearance in the circle, pitching 3.2 innings with two strikeouts.
Game two against Carson-Newman told a different story from the first pitch. After falling to the No. 3-seed in the first round of the Championship Tournament, the Trojans sought redemption in the elimination matchup. Senior
Kinsley Dunn (Central, S.C.) opened the scoring with her first homer of the season, allowing two Trojans to score after the blast to left center field. In the bottom of the third, senior
Shelby Bandt (Ft. Valley, Ga.) scored on a wild pitch before Barrick singled to left field for Hobbs to score. Nearing the end of the fourth, freshman
Kara Davis (Duncan, S.C.) singled to second base for a single RBI while sophomore
Chloe Maness (Belton, S.C.) scored the sixth run, advancing the Trojan's lead to 6-0.
The Eagles rallied for two-straight innings, putting up eight runs on the board. After CN grabbed an 8-6 lead, the Black and Gold were determined to bounce back. Stepping up to the plate was Brakovec who notched a single to left field for a single run before freshman
Bella Harbour (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) boasted a double to left field, matching the Eagles score at 8-8. With two outs and a 2-2 count,
Kinsley Dunn secured the walk off single to bring Harbour home, sending the Trojans to the SAC Championship game.
Dunn led the Trojans from the plate after going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs followed by Harbour with one run and a single RBI after posting a .245 average on the game. Three Trojan's appeared in the circle with Hobbs securing her second victory on the day after recording a 0.00 ERA. She notched a single strikeout and only allowed three hits with no runs. Kilgore started in the circle, pitching 4.1 innings while senior
Katie Morris (Valley, Ala.) made an appearance for a single inning.
"
Kinsley Dunn came up huge at the plate against Carson-Newman while our pitchers and defense made plays when we needed them to." added Roberts. "I'm looking forward to seeing what this group has left in the tank tomorrow. Go Trojans!"
The Black and Gold will play for the South Atlantic Conference Championship Tournament title on Saturday, May 9 in Hickory, N.C. The First pitch is slated for noon with a tie-breaker game scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
