WINGATE — Six local softball players from The Stokes News reading area went head to head on Sunday, April 28 when Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate University squared off against each other in a double elimination softball tournament with the winner earning the right to play Anderson University in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship game (SAC)on May 3-5.
Lenoir-Rhyne features seniors Lora Beth Woods from North Stokes, and Lauren Rakes from East Wilkes, freshman Madison Wilson from South Stokes, and sophomore Summer Fontana from Starmount. Wingate has West Stokes’ alumnus Kaylee Hobgood, and East Surry’s Hali Scott.
The No. 7 ranked Bulldogs (46-9) won the regular season SAC Championship and hosted No. 4 seed Lenoir-Rhyne (43-14), No. 5 seed Tusculum (30-22), and No. 8 see Catawba (23-27).
Wingate beat Catawba 7-3 and Tusculum 2-1 and advanced to the championship game of bracket play. Twenty-third ranked Lenoir-Rhyne took a little harder route by losing to Tusculum 6-4 on Friday, beat Catawba 4-3 in nine innings and Tusculum 5-4 in their last at bat on Saturday.
In two instant classics, the Bears outlasted the Bulldogs 5-4 in 11-innings in the first game and held off the home team 9-8 in the second game.
Rakes delivered a two-out RBI single in the top of the 11th inning and then closed the door pitching the final four and two-thirds innings allowing three hits and no runs. Wilson started the game and threw six and a third innings allowing four runs.
In game two, LR trailed 6-4 going to the seventh inning, but a three-run homerun by Cassidy Wall capped a five-run inning and gave the Bears a 9-6 leading going to the bottom of the last inning.
Wingate loaded the bases when Hannah Stevens potential game-winning grand slam hit the top of the wall, but the Bears got the ball in so quickly they trapped the game-tying run between third and home plate. Pitcher Faith Carrigan induced a fly ball to centerfield ending the game at 9-8 and sending Lenoir-Rhyne to the SAC Championship against Anderson.
Rakes and Wilson had a hit each and Wood recorded a walk in game one. Hobgood walked with an RBI and Scott recorded a hit, worked two innings of relief giving up three hits, and two earned runs.
In game two Wilson was 2-for-4 with a run score, Wood 2-for-4, Rakes 0-for-1, Hobgood 1-for-2, two walks, a run scored with a RBI, and Scott was 1-for-4.
Rakes pitched one and one-third innings giving up five runs, Wilson threw two-thirds of an inning in relief giving up one hit and no runs, and Scott went one and two-thirds innings give up two hits and an earned run.
Hobgood earned first team All-SAC for her play during the regular season, Rakes and Wilson second team, and Scott and Wood third team.
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