Emory edges Panthers in first game of NCAA tournament
May 7, 2009

SALISBURY, Md. – Third-seeded Emory pushed across a last-inning run for a 1-0 win over LaGrange College on Thursday at the NCAA Division III Salisbury, Maryland First Round Tournament. The loss drops the Panthers (25-20) into a loser's bracket game Friday against the Neumann-Salisbury loser.

Emory's Shanon Andersen (17-7) limited the sixth-seeded Panthers to two hits by Holly Hazelwood. Andersen walked a batter and struck out 10.

Katie Hein (9-8) was the hard-luck loser for the Panthers. Hein scattered eight hits, while walking just one.

Hazelwood reached on a one-out hit in the first inning. But Hein lined into an inning-ending double play. The Panthers would not get a runner on until the fourth inning.

In the fourth inning, Hein reached on a two-out error to keep the inning going. Valerie Williams drew a walk after Hein stole second. Andersen got out of the inning by retiring Katie Ison.

Hein worked out of jams in the third and sixth innings. The Eagles left runners on first and third in the third inning when Hein got Caitlin Fitzgerald to fly out.

Emory put runners on first and third with no one out in the sixth inning. Alyson Moler flew out to Hazelwood in center for the first out. Kim Bandy was thrown out at home by Williams trying to score on Kelsey Floyd's grounder to short. The threat ended as Hein got Zara Louy to ground to third as Kristi Underwood stepped on the bag to force Fitzgerald for the third out.

The Eagles ended the game in the seventh inning. Elizabeth White led off the inning with a single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jessica Thomas followed with a single up the middle to score White with the winning run.

This was the second straight year the two teams have met in the first game of the regional. Last year, the Panthers won 2-1 in the Fayetteville Regional. The teams have met five times this season, with the Eagles taking four of the games.