LADY BLUE HOSE ADVANCE WITH 2-1 WIN OVER BELMONT ABBEY IN NCAA SOUTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL
KENNESAW,
GA – PC's Brooke Norris allowed only one unearned
run and six hits to lead No. 4-seed Presbyterian College to a
tight 2-1 win over No. 6-seed Belmont Abbey College Friday
afternoon at the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex.
PC
moves
to 46-12 and lives to fight another day, while Belmont Abbey
ends its season at 31-26.
Norris
(12-2) twice allowed Belmont Abbey runners to reach second and
third base with one out, but was able to wiggle out of the jam
in both the second and sixth innings.
The Anderson, South Carolina senior only had two
strikeouts, but was able to induce 13 groundball outs to quell
any Crusader rallies.
Belmont
Abbey did strike first in the top of the third inning.
Leigh Carter ripped a one-out double into the right
centerfield gap and came around to score when PC second
baseman Rachel Bailey muffed a popup after initially
losing it in the sun, allowing Carter to scamper home for the
1-0 lead.
But
the Lady Blue Hose answered back with two runs in the bottom
of the fourth inning to take the lead for good.
Lauren Hixson started a string of four straight
singles with a liner to centerfield and was followed by a
single off the bat of Katie Fite. Nickie Templeton
then ripped a RBI-single into left field to tie the score at
1-1. Tina Deveaux
put PC on top 2-1 with a RBI-single to right centerfield.
Belmont
Abbey starter Keri Blackwelder was able to hold PC the
rest of the way, but the damage had been done.
Blackwelder (15-14) got the loss after giving up gave
up two runs on seven hits while striking out in six innings.
Presbyterian advances to play USC Spartanburg in another elimination game at 7:30. Belmont Abbey is eliminated.