Anderson, S.C.----The fifth-seeded Anderson University Trojans defeated fourth-seeded Wingate University in the opening round of the 2018 South Atlantic Conference softball tournament, hosted by Anderson. The Trojans advance to Saturday's semifinals, improving to 32-15 overall. The Bulldogs are eliminated from the single-elimination tournament, falling to 23-26.

Abigail Webb and Cailah Niles each homered to lead the Anderson attack. Mattie Hamilton added a hit and an RBI for the Trojans.

Senior infielder Mikayla Hannah (Lancaster, S.C.) was two-for-three with an RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Sophomore outfielder Jessica VonCannon (Locust, N.C.) went two-for-three with a double, while junior outfielder Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) scored a run for the Bulldogs.

Anderson got on the board in the first, when Niles drew a walk to lead off the game, then scored on Hamilton's RBI single.

Niles connected on a solo shot in the fifth to make it 2-0, while Webb's solo homer in the sixth put Anderson on top by three.

Sapp reached on an error to start the sixth, then scored on Hannah's two-out RBI single to make it 3-1. The Bulldogs had runners on second and third in the frame, but a groundout got Anderson out of the jam.

Harlie Duncan got the win, moving to 15-4. She allowed one unearned run on six hits in seven innings of work, striking out three without walking a batter. Sophomore right-hander Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 14-10. She allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking three.

The Trojans advance to Saturday's semifinals to face the winner of the Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Carson-Newman contest.