Softball

Bendle's Stick Lifts Patriots Past Carson-Newman In Dramatic Style

Patriots Advance Through In Winner's Bracket

Fifth-seeded Francis Marion used a 3-run, seventh-inning rally to defeat top-seeded Carson-Newman on Thursday.

PEMBROKE - Junior outfielder Lakyn Bendle's squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning plated Nicole Reuter with the winning run as Francis Marion University rallied to defeat top-seeded Carson-Newman College 4-3, Thursday evening (May 8) in the second round of the NCAA Division II Women's Softball South Atlantic Regional.
 
The fifth-seeded Patriots (35-13) advance to the semifinals against the North Georgia College & State University/Armstrong Atlantic State University winner on Friday at 4 p.m.  The tournament is being played on UNC Pembroke's LRA Field.
 
Bendle's sacrifice capped a 3-run Patriot rally in the seventh that erased a 3-1 Carson-Newman lead.  Kat Beauvais and Jessie Alesi opened the inning with consecutive singles.  Reuter followed with a pinch-hit run-scoring single to center field.  After Reuter stole second base, Shannan Tyson tied the game with an RBI single to right field and Reuter moved to third base with no outs.  Bendle then followed with her bunt back to the pitcher that pushed Reuter across with the winning run .
 
Sophomore lefty Michaela Wolf recorded the complete game win to push her season mark to 25-10.  She struck out five, and only one of the three Eagle runs was earned.
 
Zoe Heim (31-6) took the loss for Carson-Newman, which is ranked fourth in the most recent NFCA Top 25 national poll.
 
The Eagles scored first on a solo homer by Elisha Collins in the second inning.  FMU tied the game at 1-1 when Wolf scored on a two-out error by Carson-Newman.
 
Carson-Newman scored twice in the fifth after a passed ball on strike three with two outs prolonged the inning.
 
Francis Marion outhit the Eagles 9-7, but Alesi was the lone Patriot with two hits.
 
This is Francis Marion first-ever appearance in the NCAA National Tournament.  The Patriots swept a February doubleheader from Carson-Newman during the regular-season.
 
In earlier tournament action on Thursday, UNC Pembroke eliminated Lenoir-Rhyne College and Georgia College & State University eliminated Pfeiffer University.

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