Memphis - After falling in their opening game of the 2018 Southern Athletic Association Tournament, seeded fifth, the Lynx rebounded by winning three elimination games to move on to the Tournament Championship game for the first time since forming the SAA. After Thursday's loss the Lynx defeated Hendrix Friday, after which it was decided that due to the weather, they would try to get the next four games in on Saturday. That forced the Lynx to endure three games of competition.
Rhodes opened Saturday play with a shutout over Millsaps (3-0) before a thrilling 5-4 upset over No. 2-seeded Birmingham-Southern. The Lynx eventually finished their roller coaster season of battling the weather and injuries with a 10-1 loss to No. 5-ranked Berry College and 23-16 overall record.
Anna Kula crossed home to earn the winning run against Millsaps in the second inning before
Jill Healy and
Marisa Moore added an RBI each in the fifth.
Allison Long allowed just two hits over five innings and picked up the win. Kula and
Kirsten Samuels both went two-of-three.Â
Against Birmingham-Southern, the Lynx found themselves down 2-1 before a controversial play sent momentum their way.
Haley Rath singled up the middle and the Panthers thought the throw home should have been ruled out. BSC's head coach was subsequently tossed and the Lynx tied the game before the inning was over. A BSC fifth-inning home run was soon eliminated in the bottom half of that same inning when Moore singled in
Kendall Henry. In the seventh inning, Samuels reached base with one out and then stole second to get into scoring position. That steal paid off as Henry ripped the walk-off double to left field.
Caroline Reilly picked up the win after going 4.1 innings and allowing just two hits and one run.Â
Forced to play a third contest in the same day, Rhodes fell to Berry in five innings, staving off a no-hitter to end the season. Henry picked up Rhodes' only hit in the fourth on a single down the left field line.Â
Henry, Healy and Long were all named to the All-Tournament team.
Rhodes will lose Reilly, Long and Samuels to graduation.
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