HICKORY, N.C. - Freshman Cailah Niles and sophomore Courtney Czentnar each homered in the opener, while senior Jessica Neidigh and junior Molly Child combined for six base hits in the nightcap to help lift the Anderson softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne, 2-1 and 6-5, in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams Sunday afternoon at Bears Field.
Anderson improved to 19-5 overall and 2-0 in the league with its fourth straight win and its 15th victory in the last 18 contests. The Trojans opened their league schedule with a victory for the first time since splitting a twin bill with Lenoir-Rhyne to begin the 2012 conference slate. Lenoir-Rhyne fell to 18-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play with its fourth loss in five decisions.
Game #1
Anderson 2, Lenoir-Rhyne 1
Niles, who entered the weekend tied for second in the nation with
11 home runs, slammed her 12th the season in the sixth inning,
while Czentnar hammered what turned out to be the game-winning
homer in the seventh inning.
Freshman Chelsea Jones (5-1) earned her fifth win of the season by scattering three hits and allowing just one earned run over 4 2/3 innings of work in the circle. She struck out two Bears and did not walk a batter. Sophomore right-hander Lauren Rudesheim also shined for the Trojans, starting the contest and allowed just two hits in 2 1/3 innings, while striking out one and issuing three walks.
Each team managed just three hits apiece through the first four innings, with Lenoir-Rhyne manufacturing a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, when sophomore Sarah Kenley doubled home pinch-runner Samantha Drose with two outs for the first run of the game.
Niles answered quickly for the Trojans with a home run to lead off the sixth inning to even the score at 1-1, and after Jones retired the Bears in order in the bottom of the sixth, Czentnar's two-out solo home run in the top of the seventh gave the Trojans the one-run advantage. Jones again shut the L-R offense down in the bottom of the frame for the win.
Game #2
Anderson 6, Lenoir-Rhyne 5 (9 innings)
Neidigh was 3-for-5 in the nightcap, with a single, a run-scoring
triple and a two-run homer. Child added a pair of singles and a
double in five trips to the plate.
Rudesheim (7-3) started the second game as well, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out one and walking four. She tossed 5 1/3 innings and faced one batter in the decisive ninth inning. Jones earned her third save of the season by working 3 2/3 innings and surrendering two runs (one earned) while recording two strikeouts.
The Trojans batted around in the third inning and took advantage of four base hits, a walk and an error to gain a 3-0 lead. Freshman Carli Hurtado led off the inning by reaching on an error and scored on Neidigh's second triple of the season. Child then singled to plate Neidigh and crossed the plate two batters later on Jones' single to left field.
Lenoir-Rhyne posted a solo run in the fourth and two in the fifth inning to knot the score at three apiece. Neidigh's seventh round-tripped of the year gave AU a brief 5-3 lead in the eighth, but the Bears answered with two in thtehbottom of the frame to force another extra inning. Jones was placed on second base to start the inning as part of the tie-breaker, moved to third on Bri Cason's sacrifice bunt, and scored the go-ahead run on Rebecca Martin's sacrifice fly to right field.
The Trojans will play host to South Atlantic Conference opponent
Mars Hill on Tuesday, with first-pitch at Smethers Field scheduled
for 3 p.m.
