Hornets to Face Neumann in Second Round
SALEM, Va. --- Piedmont College (GA) defeated the Lynchburg College softball team 4-1 in the first game of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament, hosted at the Moyer Sports Complex.
The Lady Lions had runners on second and third in the first inning with one out, but sophomore right-hander Hope Johnson worked out of the jam. Neither team threatened in the middle innings, until Piedmont broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Megan Keslar led off with a double and Abby Atkinson reached on an infield single with one out, advancing the pinch-runner to third. Atkinson attempted to reach second on the play, allowing the runner on third to score on the throw to give Piedmont a 1-0 lead.
The Hornets manufactured a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score. LC had a runner reach base with two outs on an error, and pinch runner Nicole Shippstole second. Jessi Hall singled to shortstop, just beating out the throw, and Shipp advanced to third. The Piedmont first baseman anticipated an out call on the throw and flipped the ball away, allowing Shipp to motor home.
The LC defense erased a Piedmont scoring threat in the sixth, after the leadoff batter reached base. Johnson struck out the batter and catcher Michaela Munday pegged the runner attempting to steal second.
Piedmont opened a three-run lead in the seventh, taking advantage of a pair of infield singles and a Olivia Duncan bloop single to right field to plate two runs.
The Lions' Brittney Head allowed just two Hornet hits and no walks on the afternoon for the complete game victory, and worked around four miscues from her defense. Hall had both hits for LC, while Johnson was the tough-luck loser. She struck out six in six innings, allowing six hits.
The Hornets (32-12) will face the loser of tonight's Neumann College (PA)/Emory University (GA) match-up Friday at noon in an elimination game.
--- This release is courtesy of the Lynchburg College sports information department. ---
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