Thursday, April 19, 2007                      

L-R’s Queen Just Misses Out On Cycle In Bears’ Win Over Tusculum

CLINTON, S.C. – All-SAC first team outfielder Taylor Queen finished with three hits and three RBIs in top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne’s 6-0 victory over eighth-seeded Tusculum on Thursday afternoon. The win moved the Bears into the winner’s bracket of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament at the PC Softball Complex.

Queen (Conover, N.C.) was a double short of the cycle as the junior finished the day 3-for-4 from the plate with a single, triple and a home run. She also scored two runs.

Queen was one of only two L-R players to conclude their efforts on the day with multiple hits. A second team All-SAC choice, Brittany Cherry (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

All-SAC first team shortstop Brooke Starnes (Conover, N.C.) of Lenoir-Rhyne belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Only two Tusculum (28-24) batters recorded hits as first team All-SAC pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va.) threw a two-hitter. Hanes only had one strikeout in the contest, but improved to 23-6 on the season with the shutout victory.

Holli Cadenhead (Van Vleck, Texas) suffered the loss in the circle for the Pioneers, striking out three in 4.1 innings pitched before giving way to Kassie Killion (Coolidge, Ariz.).

Lenoir-Rhyne (45-8) will next face host school and fourth-seeded Presbyterian at 11:45 a.m. on field one on Friday, April 20 at the PC Softball Complex. The Pioneers will square off against fifth-seeded Catawba in an elimination game at 11:45 a.m. on field two.