Box Score  
Salisbury, N.C.----The Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears defeated Wingate University 3-2 Friday morning on day two of the 2013 Food Lion SAC softball tournament. LRU improves 32-13 overall, advancing to take on the winner of the Catawba vs. Tusculum contest Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Wingate falls to 30-19-1 overall and will take on Lincoln Memorial later Friday afternoon.

Jody Mizelle was three-for-six with a homer and two RBI to lead the LRU attack. Ciera Cockman went three-for-six with a run scored, while Ashley Oliver was three-for-four with two doubles. Brittany Coursen was two-for-four with a double, RBI and run scored for the Bears.

Sophomore shortstop Alexis Burrell (Chesapeake, Va.) homered to lead the Wingate offense. Freshman outfielder Shannen Adams (Ayden, N.C.) also drove in a run for the Bulldogs, while sophomore designated player Kayla Saliga (Asheboro, N.C.) was one-for-four with a run scored.

After four scoreless innings, Wingate got on the board in the fifth. Saliga was hit by a pitch with two outs, then went to second on a walk and third on an error. An RBI single from Adams plated Saliga to give the ‘Dogs a 1-0 lead.

Lenoir-Rhyne answered in the bottom of the fifth, taking a 2-1 lead on Mizelle’s two-run homer to left center.

Wingate had the answer, tying the game in the sixth when Burrell connected on her team-best 10th homer of the year, a solo shot to right center to make it 2-2.

The Bears had a chance to win the game in the seventh, getting runners on first and third with one out. Wingate freshman right-hander Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.) got out of it, inducing a lineout and a flyout to force extra innings.

The Bulldogs had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth, but a fly ball from senior outfielder Kelsey Maffucci (Rockledge, Fla.) in right center was caught to end the threat. Lenoir-Rhyne had two on with two out in the 10th, but a flyout got Houser out of the jam.

Cockerman got the 12th-inning rally started with a one-out single, then went to third on Oliver’s double to left center. Coursen ended the game with a sacrifice fly.

Maryann Hoskins got the win for Lenoir-Rhyne, improving to 14-5. She allowed just one hit in five innings of work in relief, striking out five. Houser took the loss, falling to 21-11. She allowed three runs in 11 2/3 innings of work, piling up 204 pitches on the afternoon.

Wingate’s game against Lincoln Memorial is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Friday.