Bears softball heading to North Georgia for Super Regionals
Hickory, N.C.-- For the third time in program history and the first time since the 2011 season, the LenoirRhyne Softball team is heading to the Super Regionals. The Bears will take on North Georgia Nighthawks in the best of three series with the winner heading to Orlando for the NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
The Bears were the No. 4 seed in the Southeast Regional and defeated No. 1 seed Wingate in Saturday’s winner take all game as Madison Wilson walked it off in the bottom of the 8th inning for the Bears. While that was taking place at Wingate, The Nighthawks had to defeat No. 3 seed Francis Marion twice on Saturday to advance after Francis Marion defeated No. 2 seed North Georgia 2-1 in 9 innings on Friday afternoon.
This series is a best of three series with game one on Tuesday at 12:00 PM. Game two will be the same time on Wednesday afternoon with a decisive game three right after if needed.
This is the third all-time trip to the super regional for the Bears and all three of their trips ended up in Dahlonega, Georiga, home of the North Georgia Nighthawks.
The Nighthawks won the 2023 National Championship and looking to repeat this year but the Bears have other plans as LR looks to earn their first ever trip to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Series.
This will not be the first time these teams have faced off this season, as the teams split a pair of games in early February. In the first meeting, Lauren Rakes and North Georgia’s Tybee Denton put on a pitching clinic as the game was scoreless till the 10th inning as Julia Mardigian walked-it off the Bears in the bottom of the 10th. The next day, North Georgia got some revenge defeating the Bears 6-0 as North Georgia’s Kristin Davis threw a two-hit shutout against the Bears.
The duo of Denton and Davis held the dangerous Bears lineup to just five hits in the 17 innings this season so can the Bears keep their bats hot after hitting .331 in last week’s regional lead by Katelyn Rackard, who hit .778 in the four games including a four hit game in the Regional Championship. Rakes, Wilson and Faith Carrigan will lead the Bears in the circle as Rakes has had success in Dahlonega as Rakes has not given up an earned run in 17 innings in two career starts.
These Bears will keep you up on your seat this postseason as The Bears have won seven one-run games including six in a row during the SAC Tournament. Also five of the eleven games have gone into extra innings.
We have seen everything this post season from game tying home runs in the 7th to walk-off hits, to five-run comebacks to extra inning thrillers. Stay tuned to see what the Bears do this week as LR will be looking for continue this amazing postseason journey.