HICKORY, N.C. - The sixth-seeded Anderson softball team jumped out to an early six-run lead, then held off a late surge, as the Trojans defeated seventh-seeded Georgia College, 7-5, on day two of the 2013 NCAA Southeast Region Tournament, hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne at Bears Field on Saturday.
Sixth-seeded Anderson (39-13) advances to meet the winner of
Saturday's loser's bracket contest between No. two seed
Lenoir-Rhyne (36-15) and Georgia College in the championship
contest on Sunday at noon. If Anderson earns one win on Sunday, the
Trojans will claim the regional title and move on to next week's
NCAA Super Regional.
Anderson, which set a new school record for wins in a season,
topped Georgia College (37-16) for the third time this season after
sweeping the regular-season doubleheader in late February.
Junior Danielle Swygert led the Trojans at the plate, going 2-for-4 and driving in three runs on the strength of a pair of singles, and also scored twice. Junior shortstop Abby Child added a single and a double, while crossing the plate once. Junior catcher Laura Jansky was 1-for-3 with an RBI-double and recorded her second RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. Sophomore Bri Cason recorded as pair of walks and scored both times.
Anderson junior Lauren Bell (22-6) earned her second win in as many days, notching her 27th complete game of the season. The right-hander gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits, while striking out two and walking four.
Senior right-hander Dani Gallucci (16-7) suffered the loss for Georgia College after surrendering six earned runs on five hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work. She walked one and struck out two.
Anderson jumped out to a 6-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning and tacked on four additional runs in the top of the second frame. Sophomore Jessica Neidigh led off the game with a triple to the gap in right-center and scored on Swygert's single to right, with Jansky's two-out double to left-center bringing Swygert across the plate, giving AU a 2-0 lead.
The Trojans took the six-run lead by adding four runs with two outs in the top of the second, as they sent 10 batters to the plate. Swygert's two-run single plated both Cason and Rebecca Martin, and she crossed the plate on Jansky's bases-loaded walk. Junior Bailey Smith followed with another walk to force Abby Child home.
But the Bobcats trimmed AU's lead to three by countering with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning, as they batted around and capitalized on three singles and three walks.
The score remained the same until the seventh and final inning, when Cason drew her second walk of the afternoon with two outs and crossed the plate when Samantha Young pulled an RBI-triple down the right-field line, making the score 7-3.
But the Bobcats answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and had the potential tying run at first and winning run at the plate with no outs before Bell settled down to retire the Bobcats on a fly out to right field and a pair of fielder's choices.
2013 NCAA Division II Softball
Southeast Regional Tournament No. 2
Hickory, N.C. (Bears Field)
Friday, May 10
Game One: No. 6 Anderson 7, No. 3 North Georgia 2
Game Two: No. 7 Georgia College 10, No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne
1
Saturday, May 11
Game Three: No. 6 Anderson 7 vs. Georgia College 5
Game Four: No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne 4, No. 3 North Georgia 2
Game Five: Georgia College vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 12
Game Six (Championship): Anderson vs. Game Five winner, Noon
Game Seven (if necessary): 2:30 p.m
