Panthers split two games at first day of NCAA tournament
May 8, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – LaGrange split two games during the first day of the NCAA First Round tournament at Methodist University's Monarch Field. The fifth-seeded Panthers edged fourth-seeded Emory 2-1 in the day's first game before falling 4-0 to top-seeded and seventh-ranked Lynchburg.

The Panthers (25-19) face sixth-seeded Ursinus (31-10) on Friday at noon. The loser is eliminated from the tournament. The winner will face the Emory-Christopher Newport winner in another elimination game.

The win over Emory was the first by a LaGrange College team in an NCAA event. It was also the Panthers' first win after four regular season losses to the Eagles (28-11).

Katie Hein's two-run go-ahead single in the fifth inning and the complete game pitching of Amanda Daniel led the Panthers against Emory. Daniel (16-13) allowed a first inning run on a pair of hits. She allowed only two hits over the final six innings.

The Panthers pushed across their runs in the fifth inning with a two-out rally. Leah Flowers kept the inning going with a soft hit over first base. Kayla Yeargin reached on an error to put runners on second and third. Hein followed with a base hit to left, scoring Flowers and pinch-runner Allison Gordon to put the Panthers ahead to stay.

Emory threatened in the bottom of the inning. Alyson Moler led reached on an infield hit to start the inning and moved up to second on a sacrifice. With two outs, Flowers made a diving, run-saving catch of pinch-hitter Jenna Lamoreaux's sinking line drive to left field to end the inning.

The Eagles did not threaten in the game again. Daniel retired the side in order in the last two innings. She got Moler to ground out to shortstop Valeree Williams to end the game.

Against Lynchburg (37-5), the Panthers had early opportunities but could not push across a run. The Panthers had runners on second and third with one out in the first inning and did not score. They had two more base runners on in the second but came away with no runs.

The Hornets got two runs in the third inning off Daniel (16-14) to take the lead for good. They added two more runs in the sixth inning for the 4-0 final. Daniel scattered nine hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three in pitching her second complete game of the day.