BURLINGTON, N.C. – Ferrum College eliminated Shenandoah University from the 2006 USA South Conference softball tournament with an 11-3 victory Friday afternoon at the Springwood Park Complex. 

The Lady Panthers (21-20) advance to face NC Wesleyan in a 5:00 loser's bracket semi-final. The winner of that game takes on the loser of the Methodist/Greensboro contest for the right to play in Saturday's championship contest. 

Ferrum got all of the runs it would need over the Hornets (14-23) by scoring seven runs on eight hits in the top of the fourth inning. FC sent 12 women to the plate in the frame with Jenny Purdue providing the big hit (and what proved to be the game-winning runs) on a bases loaded triple that scored Kryestyn Matherly, Kim Cox and Amber Ware. 

Ware had driven in the first run of the game with a bloop single down the right field line, Cox had an infield single to make it 2-0 and Matherly came around to score after pinch running for Kristina Wilhelm. Wilhelm singled through the left side following Cox' bunt single to score Katie Custis. 

Cox (12-12) allowed one run in the bottom of the frame and two more in the fifth, but never was threatened. She struck out four and allowed three hits in the six-inning complete game; the contest was halted as per the NCAA mercy rule after Ferrum scored four runs in the top of the sixth and Shenandoah failed to answer in the bottom. 

Freshman Katie Haskins, (9-10) took the loss for the Hornets after yielding six runs (five earned) on six hits in 3.1 innings. Haskins gave way to Catelyn Renninger eight batters into the fourth. 

Trica Moore led the victors offensively with a 3-for-4 performance while Lauren Rizzo was 2-for-4. Alicia Sanders led the Hornets with two hits in four at-bats. 

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