2009 McLeod Health Dixie Youth Baseball AAA (Minors) State Tournament

Tournament website: www.2009scdybstatetournament.com

Tickets: $6 adults , $3 children ages 7-12 , 6 and Under FREE
Tournament pass: $20

All games will be played at Freedom Florence Complex in Florence.

Saturday, July 25
Opening Ceremonies 2:30 pm
Game 1: North Myrtle Beach vs Dillon 4 pm
Game 2: Parks Field American vs Rock Hill National 4 pm
Game 4: Bishopville vs Pineview 6 pm
Game 5: Gregg Park vs Sumter American 6 pm
Game 3: Maple Park vs Seneca 8 pm
Game 6: Hilton Head American vs Mid Carolina 8 pm
Sunday, July 26
Home Run Derby (Freedom Florence lower complex) 1 pm
Game 7: Elimination Game L1 vs L2 3:30 pm
Game 8: Elimination Game L3 vs L4 3:30 pm
Game 9: Elimination Game L5 vs L6 5:30 pm
Game 10: Winners' Game W5 vs W6 5:30 pm
Game 11: Winners' Game W3 vs W4 7:30 pm
Game 12: Winners' Game W1 vs W2 7:30 pm
Monday, July 27
Game 13: Elimination Game W8 vs W9 5:30 pm
Game 14: Elimination Game W7 vs L11 5:30 pm
Game 15: Elimination Game L10 vs L12 7:30 pm
Game 16: Winners' Game W11 vs W12 7:30 pm
Tuesday, July 28
Game 17: Elimination Game W13 vs W14 5:30 pm
Game 18: Elimination Game W15 vs L16 6:30 pm
Game 19: Winners' Game W10 vs W16 7:30 pm
Wednesday, July 29
Game 20: Elimination Game W18 vs L19 5:30 pm
Game 21: Possible Elimination Game W17 vs W19 7:30 pm
Thursday, July 30
Game 22: Championship Game 10 am
Game 23: If Necessary Championship Game 4 pm


2009 McLeod Health Dixie Youth Baseball Majors State Tournament
Saturday, July 25
Opening Ceremonies 2:30 pm
Game 1: York Central vs Surfside Beach 4 pm
Game 2: Hampton/Varnville vs Gregg Park 4 pm
Game 4: Walhalla vs Lake Marion 6 pm
Game 5: Parks Field American vs Hartsville National 6 pm
Game 3: Midlands vs McLeod Park 8 pm
Game 6: Maple Park vs Laurens 8 pm
Sunday, July 26
Home Run Derby (Freedom Florence lower complex) 1 pm
Game 7: Elimination Game L1 vs L2 4 pm
Game 8: Elimination Game L3 vs L4 4 pm
Game 9: Elimination Game L5 vs L6 6 pm
Game 10: Winners' Game W5 vs W6 6 pm
Game 11: Winners' Game W3 vs W4 8 pm
Game 12: Winners' Game W1 vs W2 8 pm
Monday, July 27
Game 13: Elimination Game W8 vs W9 6 pm
Game 14: Elimination Game W7 vs L11 6 pm
Game 15: Elimination Game L10 vs L12 8 pm
Game 16: Winners' Game W11 vs W12 8 pm
Tuesday, July 28
Game 17: Elimination Game W13 vs W14 6 pm
Game 18: Elimination Game W15 vs L16 7 pm
Game 19: Winners' Game W10 vs W16 8 pm
Wednesday, July 29
Game 20: Elimination Game W18 vs L19 6 pm
Game 21: Possible Elimination Game W17 vs W19 8 pm
Thursday, July 30
Game 22: Championship Game 1 pm
Game 23: If Necessary Championship Game 7 pm

ALL GAMES PLAYED AT FREEDOM FLORENCE COMPLEX in Florence, SC

Tickets: $6 adults , $3 children ages 7-12 , 6 and Under FREE
Tournament pass: $20

Coker Golf Finishes Second at Conference Championship, Marsh and Polo Make All-Tournament Team

Courtesy of Belmont Abbey Sports Information
4/21/2009

Clemmons, N.C. - The Barton men and the Pfeiffer women claimed the 2009 Conference Carolinas and women's golf championships, hosted by Belmont Abbey College at the Tanglewood Park Championship course. Barton won by two shots over Coker, while Pfeiffer won by nine shots over Belmont Abbey College. Belmont Abbey junior Carley Warrington and Limestone's Kyle Scruggs won the individual titles. Warring won by two strokes, while Scruggs posted a 216 to win by one shot.

The men's tournament was lengthened by two rain delays in the final two hours of competition. The final putt dropped at 7:25 p.m.

In the women's tournament, Pfeiffer won back-to-back titles after leading all 54 holes of competition, posting a final team score of 958 to defeat Belmont Abbey by nine strokes. Charlene
Reid led the Falcon efforts with a second place finish with a score of 234. Warrington won her second tournament of the spring with the two shot victory, edging Reid by two shots with a three-day score of 232. She carded rounds of 82, 73 and 77. Queens finished third with a score of 973, while Anderson (1002), Mount Olive (1054), Erskine (1125) and Limestone (1255) rounded out the field.

The men's tournament came down to the final group as Jonathan Burke posted a par on the final hole to clinch the title for the Bulldogs, which edged Coker by two shots. Barton posted a three-day score of 885, including a 298 today. Belmont Abbey finished third with a score of 890. Limestone (899), led by Scrugg's medalist-winning score of 216 finished fourth. Scruggs edged out Coker's Chris Marsh and Burke by one shot. Queens (903), Anderson (905), Pfeiffer (907), Mount Olive (910), St. Andrews Presbyterian (924), Erskine (937) and Lees-McRae (1141) rounded out the field.


Women's All-Tournament Team:
Carley Warrington, Belmont Abbey - Medalist/Trny MVP
Lina Elmstater, Pfeiffer
Brittany Beltran, Pfeiffer
Camilla Mallberg, Queens
Julia Wennerlund, Queens
Michele Low, Belmont Abbey
Rita Kim, Belmont Abbey
Hilary Armel, Queens
Kristin Moberg, Mount Olive
Sophie Dembroski, Anderson


Men's All-Tournament Team:
Kyle Scruggs, Limestone - Medalist/Tourney MVP
Chris Marsh, Coker
Jonathan Burke, Barton
Adam Sheriff, Anderson
Joe Campbell, Belmont Abbey
Thomas Muto Jr., Barton
Andrew Hodge, Queens
Pete Skirptas, Mount Olive
Daniel Castleberry, Barton
Peter Tarver-Jones, Belmont Abbey
Andrew Shiflet, Pfeiffer
Diego Polo, Coker

Women's Final Results

Men's Final Results

Coker Golf Moves to Third in Conference Championship

Courtesy of Belmont Abbey Sports Information
4/20/2009

Clemmons, N.C. - The Barton College men and the Pfeiffer women lead after 36 holes of the 2009 Conference Carolinas championship, hosted by Belmont Abbey College at the Tanglewood Park Championship course in Clemmons, North Carolina.

Barton entered the day trailing Belmont Abbey by four strokes but now leads the Crusaders by four strokes after carding a 294 today. The Abbey, which opened with a 289, posted a 302 today as it trails Barton by four strokes and leads third place Coker by two. Limestone (600), Anderson (603) are fourth and fifth, while Pfeiffer and Mount Olive are tied for sixth at 604. Queens holds down eighth, while St. Andrews Presbyterian (616), Erskine (622) and Lees-McRae (760) round out seven through 11.

Anderson University's Adam Sherriff leads the individual tournament by two strokes over Belmont Abbey's Peter Tarver Jones. After posting a four over 74 yesterday, Sheriff posted a 68 today, tying the tournament low. Tarver Jones is alone in second, while Barton's Jonathan Burke and Daniel Castleberry, along with Pfeiffer's Andrew Shiflett, are tied for third. Shiflet posted a 68 in yesterday's opening round.

In the women's tournament, Pfeiffer maintained its lead from yesterday, but Queens jumped into the second position behind Camilla Malberg's even par 72. The Lady Falcons posted a team score of 317, two shots fewer than Sunday's total, while the Royals jumped from a 335 to a 307 today. Belmont Abbey is in third place with a 646, ten shots shy of Pfeiffer and four of Queens, while Anderson (679), Mount Olive (697), Erskine (750) and Limestone (837) round out four through eight.

Belmont Abbey junior Carley Warrington leads the individual title after posting a one over par 73 today, nine shots better than yesterday's total. Mallberg and Pfeiffer's Lina Elmstater are just one shot back. All three of those ladies will be paired together in Tuesday's final round.

The final round gets underway Tuesday morning as the men tee off the tenth tee beginning at 8:00 a.m., while the women will begin on number one starting at 8:40 a.m.

Round 2 Men's Results

Round 2 Women's Results

Round 3 Men's Tee Times

Round 3 Women's Tee Times

Patriots knocked from PBC Tournament just shy of title game

FLORENCE, SC - Junior right-hander Toni Flessate tossed a five-hitter and drove in a pair of runs to carry third-seeded and 18th-ranked USC Aiken to a 3-1 win over seventh-seeded Francis Marion University, Sunday (April 19) in the final game of the losers’ bracket at the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament.

Francis Marion falls to 32-19 with an outside shot at receiving an invitation to the NCAA Division II national tournament. USCA (34-13) swept four games from the Patriots this season and advances to face top-seeded and second-ranked North Georgia College & State College in the championship game later Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The Patriots only got two runners to second through the first six meetings. Trailing 3-0 in the top of the seventh, FMU scratched across one run. Ashley Jaramillo and pinch hitter Katie Campbell singled and moved up to second and third on a ground out. Shannan Tyson’s two-out grounder to shortstop was booted allowing one run to score, however Flessate induced Lakyn Bendle to ground out to end the game.

Pacer shortstop Lauren Locklear led off the third inning with a solo home run. Following a hit batter, an FMU error, and a sacrifice bunt, Flessate laced a two-run single to left upping the USCA lead to 3-0.

FMU junior southpaw Michaela Wolf (20-11) allowed seven hits and two earned runs, while striking out four and walking no one. Flessate fanned three and also issued no walks.

Tamela Bell, Kayla Ruede, Kat Beauvais, Jaramillo and Campbell accounted for the five Francis Marion hits.

Locklear ended the day 3-for-4, while Flessate was 2-for-3.

This marks the second straight year, Francis Marion came within one game of the tournament title contest.

Patriots just "stayin' alive" at PBC Softball Tournament; Rally for two BIG wins

FLORENCE, SC - Junior left-hander Michael Wolf pitched a pair of five-hit complete games and the Francis Marion University offense awoke from an eight-inning drought to capture two wins and stay alive at the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday (April 18).

Seventh-seeded Francis Marion twice staved off elimination with a 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Armstrong Atlantic State University and a 3-1 victory over fifth-seeded Augusta State University.

Earlier in the day, senior catcher Jessica Strickland laced an 0-2 pitch into right center field to score Kellie Hair from second base and give third-seeded and 18th-ranked USC Aiken to a 2-1 win over FMU in a winners’ bracket game.

Francis Marion improves to 32-18 and will face USCA at noon in the championship contest of the losers’ bracket. The winner of that game will face top-seeded and second-ranked North Georgia College & State College in the championship game at 2:30 p.m.

Against ASU, Wolf (20-10) allowed only a first-inning RBI single to Kacee Camp before silencing the Jaguars on only three hits over the final six frames. She becomes the only FMU hurler to ever post three 20-win seasons.

FMU took the lead in the second when Tamela Bell scored on a wild pitch and Kat Beauvais delivered an RBI single in her first at bat after returning from a broken bone in her left hand that had kept her only playing the field for the past month. FMU and Wolf avoided trouble in the third frame with a shortstop to catcher to third base inning-ending double play.

Senior centerfielder Lakyn Bendle provided an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI triple that scored Stevie Arrand.

In the win over AASU, Ashley Bain hit a solo homer in the second inning to put the Pirates on top 1-0. Bell tied the score with a solo homer in the fourth. Wolf put the Patriots ahead with her own solo shot in the fifth, and senior catcher Kayla Ruede hit a grand slam later in the frame to put FMU up 6-1.

In the loss to USCA, FMU’s second batter in the top of the first was Bendle and she hit a solo homer over the left center field fence for a 1-0 Patriot advantage. Later in the inning, FMU would leave runners at first and third base. Francis Marion would not get a runner past first base after the first frame.

USCA junior righty Toni Flessate (17-5) limited the Patriots to only four hits, while striking out three and walking no one. Wolf allowed seven hits, struck out nine, and issued no walks.

The Pacers tied the game in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single up the middle by Strickland. The game would remain knotted until Strickland’s hit in the last inning.

Francis Marion goes 2-0 at PBC Softball Tournament

FLORENCE, SC - Freshman second baseman Ashley Jaramillo doubled home pinch runner Maria Goode in the sixth inning to lift seventh-seeded Francis Marion University to a 2-1 upset of second-seeded Georgia College & State University, Friday afternoon (April 17) at the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament.

Earlier in the day, junior left-hander Michael Wolf and freshman righty Lauren Bubeck combined on a three-hitter as FMU blanked 10th-seeded Lander University 6-0 in an opening-round game.

With the two wins, Francis Marion improves to 30-17 and advances to winners’ bracket play on Saturday against third-seeded USC Aiken at 11 a.m. GCSU drops to 30-21 and falls into Saturday’s losers’ bracket, to play at 1:30 p.m.

Against GCSU, Wolf allowed only a first-inning home run to PBC Player of the Year Sherquita Bostick. Wolf allowed only five hits, walked no one, and struck out five to improve her pitching mark to 18-9.

Senior righty Mandy Chandler (25-12) took the loss, although she allowed only five hits and moved into sixth place on the all-time NCAA Division II strikeout list with 1,174.

FMU tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning when senior catcher Kayla Ruede walked with the bases loaded to force in a run. However, Chandler retired Stevie Arrand on a ground out to strand three runners.

In the top of the sixth, Jessica Birchmeier walked to lead off the frame and Goode was inserted as a pinch runner. Chandler fanned Tamela Bell, but Goode advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jaramillo then doubled into the left field gap and the ball rolled all the way to the fence scoring Goode with ease.

In the bottom of the seventh, Wolf hit the leadoff batter on an 0-2 pitch, but retired the next two batters on strikeouts. Pinch hitter Haley Burnett reached on a two-out fielding error by Wolf to put runners on first and second with two outs. Wolf then induced Allison Schwimer to ground out to Jaramillo between first and second base to end the game.

Jaramillo was 2-for-4 at the plate to lead Francis Marion, while Lindsey Swanson and Bostick both had two hits apiece for the Lady Bobcats.

In the opening-round win over Lander, Wolf pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while striking out four. She did hit three Lady Bobcat batters in the first three innings. Bubeck pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Freshman right-hander Hayley Leissner (8-22) took the loss despite setting a new season-single season strikeout mark for Lander with 183.

Lander left the bases loaded in the second and third innings and stranded two runners in the fourth.

Francis Marion took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Birchmeier led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bell, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jaramillo.

The Patriots plated two runs in the fifth on a two-run single up the middle by senior center fielder Lakyn Bendle. In the sixth, the advantage moved to 6-0 on an RBI double by Arrand and a two-run single by Shannan Tyson.

Jaramillo and senior designated player Laura Hauff both had two hits for FMU.

Carrie Hudson, Lindsey Sammons, and Daisy Stewart had the three hits for Lander.


2009 Peach Belt Softball Championship Schedule of Events

Friday, April 17, 2009
#9 Georgia Southwestern def. #8 UNC Pembroke 2-0 in 12 inn.
#7 Francis Marion def. #10 Lander 6-0
#5 Augusta State def. #4 Armstrong Atlantic State 2-1 in 9 innings
#3 USC Aiken def. #6 Columbus State 2-0
#7 Francis Marion def. #2 Georgia College & State 2-1
#1 North Georgia def. #9 Georgia Southwestern 9-0
#4 Armstrong Atlantic State def. #8 UNC Pembroke 12-4
#10 Lander def. #6 Columbus State 5-3

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Game 9: 11:00 AM #1 North Georgia vs. #5 Augusta State
Game 10: 11:00 AM #3 USC Aiken vs. #7 Francis Marion
Game 11: 1:30 PM #4 Armstrong Atlantic State vs. #9 Georgia Southwestern
Game 12: 1:30 PM #10 Lander vs. #2 Georgia College & State
Game 13: 4:00 PM Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner
Game 14: 4:00 PM Game 11 Winner vs. Game 10 Loser
Game 15: 4:00 PM Game 12 Winner vs. Game 9 Loser
Game 16: 6:30 PM Game 14 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner

Sunday, April 19, 2009
Game 17: 12:00 PM Game 16 Winner vs. Game 13 Loser
Game 18: 2:30 PM Game 13 Winner vs. Game 17 Winner
Game 19: 5:00 PM (If necessary)

Queens Wins Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament

y Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/19/2009

Hartsville, S.C. - In the bottom of the seventh inning trailing by a run, the #4 seed Queens scored two runs on two hits and a Coker error. A Keeya Turner single brought home Brittany Stephens for the tying run and then it was Mary Lee Giurintano's single to right that gave the Royals the 2009 Championship.

Chantel Dodge got the win in relief, tossing 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits with three strikeouts, Shelly Catlett took the loss going 6 1/3 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.

Kari Kmetic was 3-for-3 with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Turner was also 3-for-3 with an rBI and GIurintano was 1-for-4 with the game winning RBI. Coker's Haleigh Rogers was 2-for-4 with a home runa dn two RBIs, with Anna Oswald, also going 2-for-4.

Queens will now advance to the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional Softball Tournament to be held in May.

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball All-Tournament Team
Kari Kmetic- Queens- Tournament MVP
Keeya Turner- Queens
Chantel Dodge- Queens
Mary Lee Giurintano- Queens
Shelly Catlett- Coker
Miranda Klees- Coker
Whitney Wallett- Coker
Jenny Jackson- Mount Olive
Allison Czerski- Mount Olive
Jasmine Dobbin- St. Andrews
Megan Riggs- St. Andrews
Stephanie Bethea- Pfeiffer
Dani Beres- Belmont Abbey

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament- Schedule Day 3
April 17-19

Game 18- Box Score
#8 Coker- 13
#6 St. Andrews- 7
*St. Andrews eliminated

The #8 seed Coker scored runs in five of seven innings to knockoff the #6 seed St. Andrews 13-7, allowing the Lady Cobras to advance to face #2 Mount Olive College.

Coker's Sydney Greenwalt picked up the win in relief, allowing three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings, while Sarah Applegarth took the loss, allowing eight runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work.

Allie Bragg had a perfect game going 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, while Miranda Klees, Anna Oswald and Whitney Wallett all had three hits, with Klees driving in two. Shannon Mitchell had a home run and two RBIs and Brittany Owens had two hits and two RBIs. For the Knights, Megan Riggs was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Lex Cowger and Danyell Marquez each drove in a pair of runs.

Coker advances to face the #2 seed Mount Olive at noon, with the winner advancing to face the #4 seed Queens in the championship game. St. Andrews season comes to an end with the loss.

Game 19- Box Score
#8 Coker- 3
#2 Mount Olive- 1
*Mount Olive Eliminated

Shelly Catlett held the #2 seed Mount Olive to just one run on three hits as she led the #8 seed Coker Cobras into the championship game fo the 2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament with a 3-1 win.

Catlett tossed a complete game with six strikeouts, with her counterpart, Jenny Jackson also going the full seven innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.

Brittany Owens, Haleigh Rogers and Miranda Klees drove in one of the Lady Cobras runs each, with Owens' coming of a solo homer. Mount Olive's Morgan Whaley was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Coker advances to the championship game where they will face the #4 seed Queens, while Mount Olive's season comes to an end.

Game 20- Championship Game 1- Box Score
#8 Coker- 2
#4 Queens- 0
* Both teams with one loss

A two run home run with two outs in the sixth inning proved to be all the offense the #8 seed Coker would need to take a 2-0 win for the undefeated #4 seed Queens, forcing a final championship game. Whitney Wallett belted the Chantel Dodge pitch to deep center to give the Lady Cobras the win.

Shelly Catlett had another spectacular seven inning performance for Coker, throwing a shutout, allowing just four hits, while striking out seven. Dodge was equally as good, allowing just two runs on nine hits with nine strikeouts.

Along with Wallett's homer, Coker was led by Miranda Klees 3-for-4 game and Haleigh Rogers 2-for-3 game. Kari Kmetic, Megan Campbell, Brittany Stephens and Keeya Turner each had a hit for Queens.

The Coker win forces a second championship game, with each team having one loss in the double elimination tournament.

Game 21 - Championship Final- Box Score
#8 Coker- 3
#4 Queens- 4
*Queens is 2009 Conference Carolinas Tournament Champs!

In the bottom of the seventh inning trailing by a run, the #4 seed Queens scored two runs on two hits and a Coker error. A Keeya Turner single brought home Brittany Stephens for the tying run and then it was Mary Lee Giurintano's single to right that gave the Royals the 2009 Championship.

Chantel Dodge got the win in relief, tossing 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits with three strikeouts, Shelly Catlett took the loss going 6 1/3 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.

Kari Kmetic was 3-for-3 with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Turner was also 3-for-3 with an rBI and GIurintano was 1-for-4 with the game winning RBI. Coker's Haleigh Rogers was 2-for-4 with a home runa dn two RBIs, with Anna Oswald, also going 2-for-4.

Queens will now advance to the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional Softball Tournament to be held in May.

Final Day Results of Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/19/2009

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament- Schedule Day 3
April 17-19

Game 18- Box Score
#8 Coker- 13
#6 St. Andrews- 7
*St. Andrews eliminated

The #8 seed Coker scored runs in five of seven innings to knockoff the #6 seed St. Andrews 13-7, allowing the Lady Cobras to advance to face #2 Mount Olive College.

Coker's Sydney Greenwalt picked up the win in relief, allowing three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings, while Sarah Applegarth took the loss, allowing eight runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work.

Allie Bragg had a perfect game going 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, while Miranda Klees, Anna Oswald and Whitney Wallett all had three hits, with Klees driving in two. Shannon Mitchell had a home run and two RBIs and Brittany Owens had two hits and two RBIs. For the Knights, Megan Riggs was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Lex Cowger and Danyell Marquez each drove in a pair of runs.

Coker advances to face the #2 seed Mount Olive at noon, with the winner advancing to face the #4 seed Queens in the championship game. St. Andrews season comes to an end with the loss.

Game 19- Box Score
#8 Coker- 3
#2 Mount Olive- 1
*Mount Olive Eliminated

Shelly Catlett held the #2 seed Mount Olive to just one run on three hits as she led the #8 seed Coker Cobras into the championship game fo the 2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament with a 3-1 win.

Catlett tossed a complete game with six strikeouts, with her counterpart, Jenny Jackson also going the full seven innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.

Brittany Owens, Haleigh Rogers and Miranda Klees drove in one of the Lady Cobras runs each, with Owens' coming of a solo homer. Mount Olive's Morgan Whaley was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Coker advances to the championship game where they will face the #4 seed Queens, while Mount Olive's season comes to an end.

Game 20- Championship Game
#8 Coker
#4 Queens

Game 21 (if needed)

Day Two Results of Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/18/2009

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament- Schedule Day 2
April 17-19

Game 8- Box Score
#6 St. Andrews- 10
#1 Limestone- 2
*Limestone eliminated

The # 6 seed St. Andrews scored 10 runs on 13 hits, to defeat the #1 seed Limestone 10-2, making the regular season conference champion Lady Saints the first team eliminated from the 2009 Conference Carolinas softball tournament.

Ashley Disque held Limestone to just two runs on eight hits in six innings of work to earn the win, while Emily Wallace took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in four innings.

Lex Cowger and Kailee Munden each had two hits with three RBIs to lead the Knights, while Sarah Applegarth and Danuell Marquez each had two hits with two RBIs, with Marquez belting a home run. Also collecting two hits were Jasmine Dobbin and Megan Riggs.

For Limestone, Jenna Guse was 2-for-3, while Jordan Smith was 1-for-3 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored.

St. Andrews advances to face the winner of game 9 (Erskine/Anderson) at 11:30 a.m., while Limestone is eliminated.

Game 9- Box Score
#10 Anderson- 10
#5 Erskine- 2
* Erskine eliminated

Donya Cobb held the #5 seed Erskine College to just three hits, allowing only two runs as the #10 seed Anderson University set the Flying Fleet home with a 10-2 win on Saturday morning.

Leading the Lady Trojans was Meredith Knox, going 3-for-4 with a home run , a double, four RBIs and three runs scored, with Casey King going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Courtney Davis had a home run for the Flying Fleet.

Anderson advances to play St. Andrews in an elimination game at 11:30 a.m., while Erskine is eliminated from the tournament.

Game 10
#8 Barton- 0
#7 Lees-McRae- 6
*Barton Eliminated

Amanda Dodson threw a complete game shutout to lead the #7 seed Lees-McRae to a 6-0 victory over #8 seed Barton. Dodson allowed just six hits while striking out six in the win.

Helping her own cause, Dodson was 1-for-4 with a home run, while Paula Fryar went 2-for-3 and Anna Carter, Ashley Benfield, Morgan West and Meagan Knowles were all 1-for-3.

Lees-McRae advances to face #11 seed Belmont Abbey in an elimination game at 2:00 p.m., while Barton's season comes to an end.

Game 11- Box Score
#10 Anderson- 9
#6 St. Andrews- 13
*Anderson Eliminated

The #6 seed St. Andrews rallied for 13 runs in the final three innings to defeat the #10 seed Anderson 13-9. With an eight run fourth inning, the Knights took a one run lead and never looked back.

Sarah Applegarth earned the win, tossing 6 1/3 innings in relief, allowing five runs on eight hits, while striking out five, while Anderson's Katie Van Gieson took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits in just 1/3 of inning on the mound.

Jasmine Dobbin led the Knights attack with a 3-for-4 performance including three RBIS, two runs scored and a triple. Danyell Marquez was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and Morgan Farroll was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Kayla Williams and Elisa Sebastyan each had three hits to lead the Trojans, with Williams hitting homer and driving in three and Sebastyan driving in four.

St. Andrews advances on to face to loser of game 14 (Mount Olive/Pfeiffer) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, while Anderson's season comes to an end.

Game 12
#11 Belmont Abbey- 3
#7 Lees-McRae- 1
*Lees-McRae eliminated

The #11 seed Belmont Abbey continued their Cinderella run as they defeated the #6 seed Lees-McRae 3-1 in nine innings. The Abbey scored the game tying run in the top of the seventh and then plated two runs in the top of the ninth to eliminate Lees-McRae.

Danielle Puckett earned the win, tossing six scoreless innings, while striking out five, while Amadnad Dodson took the loss, allowing two runs in two innings of relief for the Bobcats.

Katie Hobbs and Puckett were each 3-for-4, with Hobbs driving in a run for the Crusaders.

Belmont Abbey advances to play the #8 seed Coker in an elimination game at 4:30 p.m., while Lees-McRae is eliminated from the tournament.

Game 13- Box Score
#4 Queens- 1
#8 Coker- 0

Chantel Dodge did it all as she led the #4 seed Queens University to 1-0 win over #8 seed Coker College. Dodge had the game winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, while also holding the Lady Cobras to just one hit as the winning pitcher.

Dodge threw a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts in the win, while her counterpart, Shelly Catlett, took the loss, allowing just one run on five hits with six strikeouts.

Audra Littlejohn had two hits, for the Royals, with Amanda Bowman, Kari Kmetic and Dodge each getting a hit. Coker's lone hit came off the bat of Shannon Mitchell.

Queens advances to play the winner of game 14 (Mount Olive/Pfeiffer) at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, while Coker will play the winner of game 12 (Lees-McRae/Belmont Abbey) in an elimination game at 4:30 p.m.

Game 14- Box Score
#2 Mount Olive- 3
#3 Pfeiffer- 2

The #2 seed Mount Olive narrowly defeated the #3 seed Pfeiffer 3-2 thanks to a two run home run in the fifth inning by Jenny Jackson. Mount Olive took an early 1-0 lead in the first, only to have Pfeiffer take a 2-1 lead in the third, but Jackson's two run homer gave the Trojans the eventual win.

Sasha Snyder earned the win, throwing 3 1/3 innings of scoreless softball, allowing just two hits, while Allison Braswell took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

Jackson led the Trojan hitters going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored, with Kat Cahoon, Morgan Whaley and Allison Czerski each collecting a hit. Pfeiffer was led by Martina Bullard going 2-for-3, while Heather Nobles was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Mount Olive advanced to play Queens at 7:00 p.m., while Pfeiffer plays St. Andrews in an elimination game at the same time.

Game 15- Box Score
#8 Coker- 8
#11 Belmont Abbey- 2
*Belmont Abbey eliminated

The Cinderella story for the #11 seed Belmont Abbey came to an end as they fell to the #8 seed Coker 8-2. The Lady Cobras used 12 hits to score eight runs, while Sydney Greenwalt, held the Crusaders offense to just three runs over seven innings with three strikeouts. Kayla Short took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Miranda Klees and Haleigh Rogers led the Lady Cobras at the plate, with each having two hits and two RBIs, including a double for each and a home run for Klees. Anna Oswald also had two hits with a double and an RBI, with Allie Bragg and Shannon Mitchell each getting two hits. For the Abbey, Tara Ruebel and Alysia Stewart each had two hits, with Katie Hobbs driving in a run.

Coker advances to play the winner of game 16 (St. Andrews/Pfeiffer) at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, while Belmont Abbey is eliminated from the tournament.

Game 16- Box Score
#3 Pfeiffer- 5
#6 St. Andrews- 6
*Pfeiffer eliminated

For the second time in a day the #6 seed St. Andrews made a come from behind victory, defeating the #3 seed Pfeiffer 6-5. The Knights scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning on two hits including a big two-run double by Danielle Marquez..Pfeiffer rallied for a run in the bottom half of the inning and had runs on first and third with two outs, but Sarah Applegarth was able to secure the final out and the victory.

Applegarth earned the win, throwing a complete game, allowing five runs on nine hits, while Amanda Beck took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Marquez was 3-for-4 with home run a double and four RBIs, while Applegarth was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. For Pfeiffer, Bryttny Kreshka was 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and an RBI, while Beck had a home run and an RBI.

St. Andrews advances to face the #8 seed Coker at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, while Pfeiffer is eliminated from the tournament.

Game 17- Box Score
#4 Queens- 5
#2 Mount Olive- 0
*Queens advances to Championship Game

The # 2 seed Mount Olive fell to the #4 seed Queens 5-0 in the winner's bracket final of the 2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament Saturday evening. Sasha Snyder allowed only one run in six innings after Queens scored four runs in the first

Queen's Chantel Dodge struck out 14 Trojan hitters, while Kari Kmetic and Alisha Waldrop led the offense with a two-run home run each in the first inning and a solo shot by Kmetic.

Mount Olive plays Sunday at 11:30 a.m. against either the winner of game 18 (St. Andrews/Coker), while Queens advances to the championship game at 1:30 p.m.

Day One Results of Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/17/2009

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament- Schedule Day 1
April 17-19

Game 1- Fri. 10am- Field 2- Box Score
#9 Barton- 2
#8 Coker- 4

The #8 seed Coker College took the first game of the Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament, with a 4-2 win over #9 seed Barton College. Coker's Sydney Greenwalt (5-4) earned the win, even after allowing two runs in the first three innings, but Shelly Catlett's eight strikeouts in relief shut down the Barton offense. Barton's Claire Severt (5-9) took the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits in four innings.

At the plate, Julia Nelson-Abbott had a pair of big hits, including an RBI double and an RBI single, while Anna Oswald was 3-for-4 and Haleigh Rogers was 2-for-4. Whitney Wallett and Becky Dillon drove in each of Coker's two other runs. Barton was led by Natalie Phipps going 2-for-2, with Amber Fletcher going 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Coker advances to play #1 seed Limestone College at 2:00 p.m., while Barton drops to the elimination bracket and will face the loser of game 4 (Erskine/Queens) at 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

Game 2- Fri. 10am- Field 4- Box Score
#10 Anderson- 1
#7 Lees-McRae- 9

The #7 seed Lees-McRae used seven hits to score nine runs and take a 9-1 win over #10 seed Anderson University. Amanda Dodson and Paula Fryer were the driving forces behind the Bobcat victory. Dodson was the winning pitcher, allowing just one run in six innings of work with five strikeouts, while going 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, helping Dodson along the way was Fryer, going 2-for-4 with a three run home run to break the game open in the third inning.

For Anderson, Alex Waldroup took the loss, allowing nine runs, only two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts. At the plate for the Lady Trojans, Amber Strickland was 1-for-2 with a run scored and Meredith Know was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Lees-McRae advances to face #2 seed Mount Olive at 2:00 p.m., while Anderson will drop to the elimination bracket to face the loser of game 4 (Queens/Erskine) at 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

Game 3- Fri. 12pm- Field 2- Box Score
#11 Belmont Abbey- 9
#6 St. Andrews- 8

In the first upset of the tournament, the #11 seed Belmont Abbey came back from a 7-1 deficit in the final innings to defeat the #6 seed St. Andrews, 9-8. The Crusaders plated five runs on three hits and two big St. Andrews errors to bring home the win. Driving in the Crusaders winning runs was Dani Beres with a two out three run home run in the seventh.

Carrie Markham earned the win in relief for the Abbey, allowing just two runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work, while Sarah Applegarth took the loss giving up nine runs on seven hits in seven innings.

Beres was the Crusaders leading hitter, going 1-for-4 with three RBIs, while Danielle Puckett was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Tara Rubel had a solo homer. For the Knights, Applegarth helped her own cause, going 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs, while Megan Riggs was 1-for-2 with a home run and RBIs, with Jasmine Dobin and Kailee Munden each collecting two hits.

The Abbey advances to face the #3 seed Pfeiffer at 4:00 p.m., while St. Andrews drops to the elimination bracket to face the loser of game 5 (Coker/Limestone) Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

Game 4- Fri. 12pm- Field 4- Box Score
#5 Erskine- 1
#4 Queens- 3

The #4 seed Queens University scored three runs in the first inning and that proved to be all the offense the Royals would need to win, as they defeated the #5 seed Erskine College 3-1.

Chantel Dodge was the winning pitcher, tossing a complete game, allowing just one run in the first inning, before settling in for a six inning shutout. Dodge struck out 16 batters, while allowing just two Fleet hits.

Katie Knapp and Courtney Davis had the Fleets only hits, with Knapp driving in and scoring the lone run thanks to a solo homer and Davis hitting a double. Queens was led by Mary-Lee Guirintano with a double for the Royals.

Queens advances to face the winner of game 5 (Coker/Limestone) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, while Erskine moves to the elimination bracket to face Anderson at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Game 5- Fri. 2pm- Field 2- Box Score
#8 Coker- 3
#1 Limestone- 2

Following Belmont Abbey's come from behind win over St. Andrews, the #8 seed Coker pulled the biggest upset of the day, as the Lady Cobras defeated the #1 seed Limestone College, 3-2 in nine innings.

Allie Bragg drove home the winning run for the Lady Cobras, driving home Brittany Owens, who led off the top of the ninth with a double to right. Coker then left the game in the hands of their pitcher, Shelly Catlett (13-9), who sat down the side in order including strikeout the final two Saints' batters. For the game Catlett allowed just two runs on six hits with 12 strikeouts, while Kristy Witten took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.

Bragg was 2-for-4 with a RBI, while Owens was also 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, with Whitney Wallett also going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. For the Saints, Jenna Guse was 3-for-4 with a run scored, with Christina Woolgar going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Coker advances to face #4 seed Queens at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, while Limestone falls to the elimination bracket, where they will face #6 seed St. Andrews at 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

Day One Results of Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/17/2009

2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament- Schedule Day 1
April 17-19

Game 1- Fri. 10am- Field 2
#9 Barton- 2
#8 Coker- 4

The #8 seed Coker College took the first game of the Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament, with a 4-2 win over #9 seed Barton College. Coker's Sydney Greenwalt (5-4) earned the win, even after allowing two runs in the first three innings, but Shelly Catlett's eight strikeouts in relief shut down the Barton offense. Barton's Claire Severt (5-9) took the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits in four innings.

At the plate, Julia Nelson-Abbott had a pair of big hits, including an RBI double and an RBI single, while Anna Oswald was 3-for-4 and Haleigh Rogers was 2-for-4. Whitney Wallett and Becky Dillon drove in each of Coker's two other runs. Barton was led by Natalie Phipps going 2-for-2, with Amber Fletcher going 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Coker advances to play #1 seed Limestone College at 2:00 p.m., while Barton drops to the elimination bracket and will face the loser of game 4 (Erskine/Queens) at 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

Game 2- Fri. 10am- Field 4
#10 Anderson- 1
#7 Lees-McRae- 9

Game 3- Fri. 12pm- Field 2
#11 Belmont Abbey-
#6 St. Andrews-

Game 4- Fri. 12pm- Field 4
#5 Erskine-
#4 Queens-

Game 5- Fri. 2pm- Field 2
#8 Coker-
#1 Limestone-

Game 6- Fri. 2pm- Field 4
#7 Lees-McRae-
#2 Mount Olive-

Game 7- Fri. 4pm- Field 2
Winner Gm 3-
#3 Pfeiffer-

Coker Baseball Eliminated from Conference Tournament

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/16/2009

Wilson, N.C. - The Coker College Baseball team's season came to an end on Friday afternoon, as they fell to the #2 seed Mount Olive Trojans 6-4 in an elimination game at the 2009 Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament.

Coker and Mount Olive were deadlocked after the first inning, with both teams scoring two runs, but a pair of runs by the Trojans in the third inning gave them a two run lead. Coker closed the gap with a run in the fourth, but another Mount Olive run in the fifth brought the two run lead back. However the Cobras scored a run of their own in the bottom half of the fifth to keep it within one, but that would be as close as Coker would get. A run in the eighth inning secured the Mount Olive 6-4 win and advanced the Trojans to face the #6 seed Limestone in another elimination game on Friday.

Coker's Jesse Hatchell (Florence, SC) (2-6) threw a solid nine innings in the final outing of his collegiate career. He allowed six runs on 12 hits with six strikeouts, while the Trojans Patrick Ball (3-4) earned the win, allowing four runs on nine hits in seven innings or work with three strikeouts.

Senior Cobra BK Harfst (Arvada, CO) led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored, while Brinley Griffin (Port St. John, FL) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Matt Ammons (Chester, SC), Ricky Deleandro (Mentor, OH), and Ellis Logeman (Suwanee, GA) each had two hits for the Cobras.

For Mount Olive, Alex Vertcnik was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and two runs scored, while Jesse Lancaster was also 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Rich Racobaldo finished the day 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, with Joseph Westbrook picking up a pair of hits for the Trojans.

Coker finishes their season 17-25 overall and 4-15 in the conference.

FMU tennis teams in Morrow on morrow for PBC Tennis Tourney

FLORENCE, SC – Both the nationally ranked Francis Marion University men’s and women’s tennis teams will travel to Morrow, Ga., this weekend for the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Tournaments, which are being hosted by Clayton State University at the Clayton County Tennis Center in Jonesboro, Ga.
The winner of each single-elimination event will capture the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, while other squads are vying for at-large invitations.

The women’s tournament will begin with three matches on Friday at 11 a.m., while the men will open with three matches on Friday at 2 p.m. Both championship matches are set for Sunday at noon.
Neither FMU squad will play on Friday. The FMU men will play USC Aiken on Saturday at 8 a.m., while the Patriot women will play the Georgia College & State University/Georgia Southwestern State University winner on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Tournament semifinals are scheduled for Saturday at 3 and 6:30 p.m.

The PBC men’s tournament will be one of the premier Division II events in the nation with seven of the league’s nine teams ranked in the latest ITA national poll, by far the most from any single conference. PBC singles players also account for more than 25% of the top 50 ranked players in the country.

Sixth-ranked Georgia College & State University is the No.1 seed for the men’s tournament, while Francis Marion (15-4) is the fifth seed. The Patriots enter the PBC tournament on a five-match win streak and are ranked 17th nationally. FMU is led by Oshada Wijemanne at No.1 singles who is ranked 10th nationally and owns a 14-2 season record, while Dilshod Sharifi at No. 2 singles has a 16-2 season mark and is ranked 22nd. The two sophomores also form FMU’s No.1 doubles team and are 14-2 and ranked sixth nationally.

All four of FMU’s losses have been to teams ranked 18th or higher in the national poll.
Armstrong Atlantic State University (21-1), in a strange twist, will be the No.2 seed in the PBC Tournament despite being the top-ranked team in the nation and defending national champions.

Like the men, the PBC women’s tournament will be one of the top Division II women’s events in the nation with six teams ranked in the latest ITA national poll. PBC singles players also account for more than 25% of the top 50 ranked players in the country.

AASU will again be the No.1 seed for the women’s draw. The Lady Pirates won their 15th PBC championship in the regular season by going undefeated in conference play for the sixth year in a row, and have won 62 straight regular-season conference matches dating back to 2003. The defending Division II national champion, AASU is 19-1 overall and ranked third in the nation.

The Francis Marion women (16-3) have won four straight matches and are seeded third after finishing the PBC schedule with an 8-2 record. The Patriots are ranked eighth in the nation and for the first time ever will be a top-3 seed in the PBC Tournament for back-to-back tournaments. FMU is led by Tereza Sykorova at No.1 singles. The junior is ranked 18th in the nation with a 16-3 dual match record. Sophomore Kristyna Horakova enters the PBC Tournament with a 15-2 singles record at the No. 2 position and is ranked 48th in the nation. Horakova and Jitka Gavdunova are 16-0 in doubles and ranked 17th in Division II.

Overall, the Patriot women have lost only six doubles matches in 57 outings this spring.
Neither FMU tennis team has ever won a PBC Tournament championship. The Patriot men lost in the 2001 title match, and the women lost in last year’s championship match.

Results can be found on the tournament website at http://www.athletics.clayton.edu/pbctennis09.htm

St. Andrews Rallies to Beat Coker 7-5 in Conference Tournament Opener

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/16/2009

Wilson, N.C. - A six run sixth inning by #8 seed St. Andrews, led to a 7-5 win for the Knights over #9 seed Coker in the opening game of the 2009 Conference Carolinas baseball tournament.

Coker jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first inning thanks to RBI singles from BK Harfst (Arvada, CO), Jessie Crockett (North East, MD) and Karl Ankersen (Mt. Pleasant, SC) and a St. Andrews error. A RBI double by the Knights Kyle Norris in the bottom half of the inning gave St. Andrews their run, and that is where the game would stay for the next four and a half innings. But in the bottom of the sixth the Knights exploded for six runs on five hits and a Coker error to take a 7-4 lead.

Coker did manage to get one more run on the board, as Crockett drove home Brinley Griffin (Port St. John, FL) with an RBI single in the eighth.

St. Andrews' Travis Lee (4-6) earned the complete game win, allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts, with Coker hurler Chris Thomas (Bluffton, SC) (4-7) taking the loss, allowing four runs on three hits in an inning of work.

At the plate, Crockett was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Cobras, while Ankersen and Harfst each had an RBI.

St. Andrews was led by Norris, going 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Charles Weber, Ethan Powell and Josh Axelsen each had a a hit and an RBI.

St. Andrews advances to play #1 seed Belmont Abbey at Fleming Stadium at 4:00 p.m., while Coker will face the elimination at 2:30 p.m. against the loser of Mount Olive/Anderson.

Coker Set to Host Conference Carolinas Softball Tournamnet

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/16/2009

Hartsville, S.C. - Coker College is set to host the 2009 Conference Carolinas softball tournament, April 17-19 at Byerly Park in Hartsville. The tournament will get started with some pre-tourney festivities on Thursday, April 16, at 6:00 p.m. including a team banquet and awards ceremony, followed by the first ever Line Drive Contest.

In the Line Drive Contest one player from each team will get 10 swings to try and hit as many line drives as possible, while collecting points for hitting balls to specific areas of the field. A team of three judges will determine whether or not the hit is a line drive. The player with the highest point total at the end of the competition will be declared the Line Drive Champion.

After Thursday night's fun and festivities, it is time to get down to the softball action starting Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. Games will be played on field #2 and field #4 at Byerly Park with game times at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Games will start at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday's games start at 11:00 a.m.

Tickets may be purchased at the gate, cost of a one day pass is $5 for adults, $4 for students, children six and under get in free and Conference Carolinas school students may purchase a pass for $2 with valid student ID.

For all the latest scores and news on the 2009 Conference Carolinas Tournament visit: www.cokercobras.com or www.conferencecarolinas.com.

Coker Teams Prepare for Spring Conference Tournaments

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/16/2009

Hartsville, S.C. - With the end of the spring semester comes the busiest weekend in Conference Carolinas Athletics, the spring sports championship weekend. Starting Thursday, April 16, through Tuesday, April 21, more than 20 softball games, 16 baseball games, 24 tennis matches and three rounds of golf will be played, with the Coker Cobras looking to bring a championship back to Hartsville in each sport. Four of Coker's five spring sports have qualified for the conference championship tournaments that begin with Coker baseball playing at 10:00 a.m. Thursday.

The Coker Softball team is the No. 8 seed as they enter the conference softball tournament. The Lady Cobras are looking to use a "home field" advantage to their favor, as the conference tournament will be played in Hartsville at the Byerly Park Recreational Complex. Last time Coker hosted the softball tournament, 2007, the Lady Cobras were able to bring the conference championship back home defeating Queens University of Charlotte 1-0 in the championship game. Coker (16-17, 8-10 Conf. Carolinas) will take on the No. 9 seed Barton Bulldogs in their first game of the tournament on Friday at 10:00 a.m.

The Cobra Baseball team will be the first Coker team to take the field as the No. 9 seed in their tournament. They will face No. 8 seed St. Andrews at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, at Barton College in Wilson, NC, with the winner advancing to play No. 1 seed Belmont Abbey College. Coker (17-23, 4-15 Conf. Carolinas) is looking to bounce back after a tough season, and hopefully make a run at the conference championship.

The Women's Tennis team enters their championship with one of the best records in the conference. The Lady Cobras enter the No. 4 seed in the tournament, their highest seed in school history. Coker (8-4, 5-3 Conf. Carolinas) will face the No. 5 seed Limestone in their opening match Friday at noon at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, SC. Unfortunately for the Cobra men, they did not qualify for tournament play, as only the top eight teams advance to the post season. Coker (0-12, 0-7 Conf. Carolinas) finished in ninth place in the conference standings.

Finally, there is the Coker College Golf team. The Cobras will be traveling to Clemmons, NC, to play their tournament at Salem Glenn Country Club. The Cobras enter the tournament as the favorite to win, having placed in the top five in eight of their nine tournaments this year, including three tournament victories; Coker College Intercollegiate, Tusculum Invitational and Carolina Sands Intercollegiate. The Cobras are led by two-time Conference Carolinas Golfer of the Month and 2008 Second Team All-Conference performer, Chris Marsh. Marsh has a 72.2 stroke average in 20 rounds played this year, while taking medalist honors at three tournaments, including setting a course record 64 at the Cougar Point Golf Club at Kiawah Island. The Cobras tee it up starting Monday at Salem Glenn.

2009 Verizon Heritage PGA TOUR Golf Event Goes Green

Perf Go Green Holdings, Inc. ("Perf Go Green")(OTCBB:PGOG), the leader in biodegradable plastic products and everyday green solutions, today announced its partnership with the 2009 Verizon Heritage PGA TOUR event. The April 13-19 event at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, will use Perf Go Green biodegradable commercial trash bags for their entire golf tournament operations next week during the PGA TOUR event. The Verizon Heritage will be one of the first PGA TOUR golf tournaments to go green.

"We at Perf Go Green are proud to partner with such a prestigious PGA TOUR event as the Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head as part of our initiative to stop trashing the planet and to embrace solutions that will help us live on a cleaner and healthier planet," said Tony Tracy, Perf Go Green Chairman and CEO. "Everyone at Perf Go Green believes in reusing, recycling, and reducing our impact on the environment as much as possible by providing eco-conscious products that will help facilitate a greener lifestyle."

"With 135,000 spectators enjoying our professional golf event, the Verizon Heritage obviously uses a lot of trash bags," said Tournament Director Steve Wilmot. "The decision to go with Perf Go Green was easy, they work great and are eco-friendly."

FMU hosts PBC Softball Tournament at Freedom Florence, Friday - Sunday

FLORENCE, SC – For the second consecutive year, Francis Marion University will serve as host for the Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament. The 10-team, double-elimination event will take place Friday through Sunday (April 17-19) at the Freedom Florence Recreational Complex.
The PBC office announced the tournament seeds on Wednesday afternoon. Second-ranked North Georgia College & State University (37-3) is the top seed, while Francis Marion (28-17) is the seventh seed.
The 2009 All-Conference Team will be announced at a banquet on Thursday evening.
Daily admission to the tournament will be $6 for ages 13 and above, $4 for ages 6-12, and ages under 6 free. Tournament passes will be available for $15 (adults) and $10 (children).
The tournament gets underway on Friday with three games each at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and two contests at 4 p.m. Action resumes on Saturday with two games at 11 a.m. and two games at 1:30 p.m., three games at 4 p.m., and one game at 6:30 p.m. The two remaining losers’ bracket teams will play at noon on Sunday with the winner advancing to the championship game at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Scores will be available on the web at http://www.fmupatriots.com/sports/sball/2008-09/news/SB_PBC_Tournament_Apr_13
Francis Marion will play 10th-seeded Lander University (13-29) in its first game on Friday at 11 a.m. If the Patriots win that contest, they will play again immediately at 1:30 p.m. A loss in the 11 a.m. game has FMU playing at 4 p.m. on Friday.
The tournament winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
FMU swept a pair of games from Lander, 4-2 and 3-0, on March 4 in Florence, and the Patriots lead the all-time series 51-25.
Junior southpaw Michaela Wolf leads the Patriot pitching staff with a 16-9 record and a 1.66 earned run average. Wolf and junior outfielder Jessica Birchmeier lead the FMU regulars with .346 batting averages. Freshman second baseman Ashley Jaramillo leads the Patriots with 14 doubles, five home runs, and 30 runs batted in.
Francis Marion finished third in last year’s tournament, the second time the program has gotten to within one game of the title contest (also accomplished in 2004). The Patriots have an all-time record of 23-28 in tournament play. FMU also hosted the tournament in 1997.
The top seed has won three of the past five tournaments, although Georgia College & State University won last year’s tournament as the third seed.


2009 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament Schedule at Freedom Florence

Friday, April 17, 2009
Game 1: 11:00 AM #8 UNC Pembroke vs. #9 Georgia Southwestern
Game 2: 11:00 AM #7 Francis Marion vs. #10 Lander
Game 3: 11:00 AM #4 Armstrong Atlantic State vs. #5 Augusta State
Game 4: 1:30 PM #3 USC Aiken vs. #6 Columbus State
Game 5: 1:30 PM #2 Georgia College & State vs. Game 2 Winner
Game 6: 1:30 PM #1 North Georgia vs. Game 1 Winner
Game 7: 4:00 PM Game 1 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser
Game 8: 4:00 PM Game 2 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Game 9: 11:00 AM Game 6 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner
Game 10: 11:00 AM Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 11: 1:30 PM Game 7 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser
Game 12: 1:30 PM Game 8 Winner vs. Game 5 Loser
Game 13: 4:00 PM Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner
Game 14: 4:00 PM Game 11 Winner vs. Game 10 Loser
Game 15: 4:00 PM Game 12 Winner vs. Game 9 Loser
Game 16: 6:30 PM Game 14 Winner vs. Game 15 Winner

Sunday, April 19, 2009
Game 17: 12:00 PM Game 16 Winner vs. Game 13 Loser
Game 18: 2:30 PM Game 13 Winner vs. Game 17 Winner
Game 19: 5:00 PM (If necessary)

Coker to Host 2009 Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/8/2009

Hartsville, S.C. - After a year hiatus, the Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament will once again return to Hartsville and Coker College in 2009. The Conference Carolinas Athletic Directors accepted Coker College's bid for the 2009 conference softball tournament to be held at Byerly Park, April 16-19, 2009.

In addition to the three days of softball play, the tournament will include a team banquet at Byerly Park featuring live music and food with all the trimmings for all participating teams prior to the start of the tournament.

"We are very excited to have the Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament returning to Hartsville," said Coker Director of Athletics, Tim Griggs. "This is a great event for Coker and the City of Hartsville to host. It brings more exposure to both the city and to the College."

The Coker College Softball Team will begin their 2009 season in February. They are the defending Conference Carolinas regular season champions and they will be looking to retain their title in 2009.

Nation’s Largest One-Day Charity Golf Tournament

The BI-LO Charity Classic, the largest one-day charity golf tournament in the United States, is being opened for public participation for the first time in its 25-year history. The Charity Classic takes place on more than ten golf courses throughout the Upstate of South Carolina and Southwestern North Carolina and raises funds for hundreds of charitable organizations.

Each individual player sponsorship spot costs $850 and includes 18 holes of golf at a first-class course and invitations for the player and a guest to the Charity Classic parties the evenings of Sunday, June 7 and Monday, June 8.

Players and a guest will attend the Pairings Party and Auction at 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Monday, participants will play a round at one of the Charity Classic courses, teeing off at 10 a.m. Following their game, they will attend the Awards Banquet that evening at 5:30 p.m. Each player will also have the opportunity to designate a portion of their player sponsorship funds to a BI-LO Charities charity of their choice.

Along with enjoying fantastic golf and parties, participation in the Charity Classic provides the unique opportunity to network with hundreds of business professionals and golf enthusiasts from around the county. Last year, more than 1,400 golfers from 35 different states participated in the Charity Classic and raised more than $5.6 million for deserving organizations.

“We are very excited to open the tournament up to the public this year,” said Carol Browning, Director of BI-LO Charities. “The funds raised by the Charity Classic provide support for so many important organizations, and it is great to now be able to invite members of the community to join us in this effort.”

Each of the parties will be at the Hartness Estate in Greenville, S.C. in an air-conditioned tent that is more than 50,000 square-feet. The parties will feature world-class fare, including an enticing menu based on the 2009 Charity Classic theme.

This year’s courses are spread across the Upstate of South Carolina and Southwestern North Carolina and include some of the nation’s top-ranked and most stunning golf facilities, such as the Cliffs at Glassy, the Reserve at Lake Keowee and Bright’s Creek Golf Club.