Tusculum to host Food Lion SAC Softball Championship

Tusculum to host Food Lion SAC Softball Championship

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Red Edmonds Field on the campus of Tusculum College will be the host site for the 2012 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship, which begins Thursday and continues through Sunday. Eight teams will vie for the SAC tournament title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

All Sessions tickets will be available Thursday only, and are $20 for adults ($18 with a Food Lion MVP Card) and $10 for college students with ID and children under 13. Daily tickets are $8 for adults ($7 with a Food Lion MVP Card) and $4 for college students with ID and children under 13. Gates will open 75 minutes before the start of each day's action.

Tusculum College students will be admitted free with the TC Athletic Department incurring the cost for admission. But TC students must present a valid TC ID and must enter Red Edmonds Field at the ticket entrance located in the left field corner of the complex (by the practice fields).

Action in the double-elimination tournament begins Thursday at 10:30 a.m. as fifth-seeded Tusculum faces fourth-seeded Carson-Newman. The Pioneers finished 30-23 overall and 9-9 in the SAC, while the Eagles compiled a 29-29 record and went 10-8 in conference play.

In Thursday's second game, sixth-seeded Brevard will play third-seeded Anderson at 1:00 p.m. The Tornados carry a 23-22 overall record and a 9-9 league mark into the tournament, while the Trojans went 35-11 overall and 12-6 in the SAC.

Meeting in the third game of the day at 3:30 p.m. will be seventh-seeded Wingate and second-seeded Catawba. The Bulldogs battled to a 26-22 overall record and went 8-10 in the SAC, while the Indians fashioned a 32-15 season slate and compiled a 12-5 conference mark.

Thursday's action wraps up at 6:00 p.m. when eighth-seeded Mars Hill squares off with top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne, the two-time defending tournament champions. The Lions finished .500 overall with a 22-22 record and were 7-11 in the SAC, while the Bears won their third straight SAC title after going 14-4 in the conference and 42-11 overall.

Action continues with six games on Friday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Two games, involving the four losing teams from Thursday, will be played at nearby Chuckey-Doak High School at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Three games will be played Saturday, beginning at noon, while the championship game will be played Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The gravel parking lot next to Edmonds Field is reserved for handicap parking, VIPs, media and tournament staff ONLY. Parking on Pleasant View Drive (old airport runway) will be for participating team buses and vans ONLY. Spectator and fan parking will be located in the parking lot by the Tusculum soccer and football practice fields and by the Indoor Practice Facility. There will be ample signage and personnel to guide visitors to these areas. Spectators and fans are not allowed to park on Pleasant View Drive and will be subject to towing at the vehicle owner's expense.

Follow the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament online at www.thesac.com.

- SAC -

2012 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament
(Red Edmonds Field, Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tenn.)

Thursday, April 19
Game 1: No. 4 Carson-Newman vs. No. 5 Tusculum, 10:30 a.m.
Game 2: No. 3 Anderson vs. No. 6 Brevard, 1:00 p.m.
Game 3: No. 2 Catawba vs. No. 7 Wingate, 3:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 8 Mars Hill, 6:00 p.m.

Friday, April 20
Game 5: Gm. 2 Loser vs. Gm. 3 Loser, 10:30 a.m. (at Chuckey-Doak High School)
Game 7: Gm. 2 Winner vs. Gm. 3 Winner, 10:30 a.m.
Game 6: Gm. 1 Loser vs. Gm. 4 Loser, 1:00 p.m. (at Chuckey-Doak High School)
Game 8: Gm. 1 Winner vs. Gm. 4 Winner, 1:00 p.m.
Game 9: Gm. 8 Loser vs. Gm. 5 Winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 10: Gm. 7 Loser vs. Gm. 6 Winner. 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 21
Game 11: Gm. 9 Winner vs. Gm. 10 Winner, 12 noon
Game 12: Gm. 7 Winner vs. Gm. 8 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 13: Gm. 11 Winner vs. Gm. 12 Loser, 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 22
Game 14: Championship - Gm. 12 Winner vs. Gm. 13 Winner, 1:00 p.m.
Game 15: If necessary, 3:30 p.m.

- SAC -