Thursday, April 19, 2007
Fourth-Seeded PC Moves Into Winner’s Bracket With 3-2 Victory Over Fifth-Seeded Catawba
CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian College’s Erin Stewart (Marion, S.C.) singled to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to net the game-winning run in fourth-seeded PC’s 3-2 victory over fifth-seeded Catawba in the first game of the 2007 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament on Thursday morning at the PC Softball Complex.
The single was the only hit of the day for Stewart and it allowed Stephanie Payne (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) to score from second base and garner the Lady Blue Hose the ability to walk off the diamond with the win.
Ashley Ford (Marietta, Ga.) got things going for PC in the inning, belting a double to right center field. Payne was then inserted into the game to pinch run for Ford and two batters later and with two outs Stewart singled in Payne.
Catawba scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the fourth inning. All-SAC first team member Jessie Whitesides (Yadkinville, Ohio) began things in the inning for the Indians by hitting a double to right center field. Kathryn Geouge (Canton, N.C.) then singled her over to third base on a successful bunt.
Presbyterian starting pitcher Paige Cassady (Orlando, Fla.) shortly thereafter threw a wild pitch to score Whitesides and eventually Geouge after an error by PC catcher Laura Tate (Spartanburg, S.C.).
Presbyterian did not wait long to pull itself back into the game, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jessica Peterka sacrificed Rachel Bailey (Howard, Ohio) in from third base. Bailey had kicked off the inning for PC by doubling to right center field and then swiping third base.
The two teams only combined for nine hits in the tightly contested game with PC out-hitting Catawba by the tally of 5-4. PC’s Bailey was the only individual in either lineup to acquire multiple hits as she finished the contest 2-for-3 with a run scored.
A second team All-SAC selection, Cassady picked up the win from the circle for PC, striking out eight Catawba batters and improving to a team-best 16-7 on the 2007 campaign.
Lindsay Ettinger (Pasadena, Md.) fell to 22-9 with the loss from the pitcher’s circle for Catawba. Ettinger struck out four PC batters.
Presbyterian (30-14) advances to the winner’s bracket of the tournament and will face off against the winner of game four that pits top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne against eighth-seeded Tusculum at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. The Lady Blue Hose and the winner of game four will play on field one at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 20.
Catawba (41-18) falls into the loser’s bracket and will take on the loser of game four at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 20 on field two at the PC Softball Complex.