April 21, 2008

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Carson-Newman pitcher Zoe Heim (Gallatin, Tenn.), who went 4-0 with 36 strikeouts, has been named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament after leading the Lady Eagles to the tournament championship, league officials announced today.

Heim was one of five Eagles to make the All-Tournament team. She pitched all of C-N's 28 innings during the championship run, striking out 12 in the title game, a 6-3 win over Mars Hill.

Joining Heim from Carson-Newman are: second baseman Whitney Hickam (Knoxville, Tenn.); shortstop Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.); first baseman Sarah Little (Calhoun, Ga.); and third baseman Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, Tenn.).

Hickam hit .417 with four RBI, including the walk-off single in a 2-1 win over Wingate on Saturday and a two-run single in Sunday's title game. Little hit .417 with two RBIs. Howard batted .364 on the weekend, adding a 5-for-5 effort in stolen bases. Stevens hit only .231, but added a key first inning, ground-rule double in the championship game.

The Lady Eagles trailed for only two-thirds of an inning on the weekend, the top of the first against Mars Hill, in taking their eighth SAC Tournament title.

Carson-Newman (48-6) earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament with the championship, hoping to build on a school-record numbers of wins (48).

The All-Tournament Team is selected by the league's head coaches.