HARROGATE, TENN. – Top-seeded Anderson University softball used a late rally to come-from-behind to defeat No. 8 Limestone, 7-5, in the quarterfinal round of the South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship on Friday afternoon at Dorothy Neely Field.
Anderson scored first in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out triple by freshman Maddie Carpenter. Limestone responded to tie the game in the second inning with a solo home run. The Saints tacked on three more runs in the third inning on another ball leaving the park.
Sophomore Laken Maxwell (20-4) got nod in game one, pitched 3.1 innings giving up four hits and four runs while striking out six. Senior Harlie Duncan (17-3) pitched the final 3.2 innings, scattering five hits to pick up her 17th win of the season.
Down by three runs, Anderson exploded for four runs in the fifth inning. Senior Jessica Neadow led the inning with senior Morgan Charter singling through the left side. With one out, Carpenter was hit-by-pitch to load the bases for freshman Hannah Whitaker. Whitaker hit a two-run single to right field, followed by junior Hope Gullatt's two-run double to left center to tie the game. Senior Sydney Belcher's sacrifice fly to deep right field, scored the Whitaker from third. Anderson added two more runs in the sixth inning to carry a 7-4 lead into the final inning.
The Saints did manage to push one run across, but Duncan and the defense shutdown the potential comeback to advance to the semifinals.
Anderson will face off with Lincoln Memorial on Saturday. First-pitch is slated for 11am.
