HICKORY, N.C. – The #2 Lenoir-Rhyne University Softball Team (33-17) advanced to the Championship Bracket of the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Tournament with a 9-0 win over seventh-seeded Emory & Henry University (31-21) Sunday afternoon.

The Basics
FINAL SCORE – #2 Lenoir-Rhyne 9, #7 Emory & Henry 0 (five innings)
LOCATION – Hickory, North Carolina
VENUE – Shena Hollar Field at McCrorie Family Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (31-21, 12-12 SAC); Lenoir-Rhyne (33-17, 16-8 SAC)

How It Happened
Lenoir-Rhyne got out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Lani Warren drove in Katelyn Rackard with a sacrifice fly. The Bears broke the game open with six runs in the fourth to go up, 7-0, on three home runs. Rackard got the scoring started with a three-run shot to centerfield while Avery Kiger hit a two-run homer and Julia Mardigian added a solo round-tripper.

In the fifth, LR tacked on another pair of runs. Warren had a RBI single to center, driving in Kaylee Chapman to put the "eight-run advantage" rule in play. On the next at bat, Kiger came up with a run-scoring base knock to plate Rackard for what would be the final 9-0 score as the game ended after five innings.

Faith Carrigan picked up the win the circle with an abbreviated no-hitter, striking out five and allowing just three walks. E&H sophomore Destiny Good (Staunton, Va.) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits with three walks in 3.2 innings of work.

Up Next
As the eighth-ranked team in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region, Emory & Henry will keep its eye on the remaining games of the region's conference tournaments. There next regional rankings will be released on Wednesday, April 30 with the selection show announcement of the 64-team field for the NCAA Division II Tournament scheduled for Monday, May 5.

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