BURLINGTON, N.C. - Cinderella lives.

Shenandoah University, the tournament's sixth-seed and a loser of its first game, will play for the USA South Conference softball title Saturday evening after eliminating Christopher Newport with an 8-6 victory.

Senior Alicia Sanders plated the game-winning runs in the top of the eighth inning with a two-out triple to right center that scored Ashley Ballentine and Mandy Reed from third and second, respectively.

Ballentine had reached on a fielder's choice before Reed had a bloop single to right.

The offensive output made a winner of sophomore Katie Haskins (7-13), who pitched 5.2 innings in relief of freshman Brittany Bailey . Haskins allowed two unearned runs on four hits to the Lady Captains (36-8).

This is the second straight year that Shenandoah has eliminated CNU from the tournament and it represents just the second victory ever for SU over the Lady Captains.

Christopher Newport was the league's regular season champion and entered the day undefeated in the tourney. They lost the winners bracket final to Methodist at 2:00 before facing the Hornets in the losers bracket championship.

To reach its first ever championship game, Shenandoah had to win games at 9:00 and 11:00 before meeting CNU.

SU had 11 hits in the extra-inning contest with Reed getting three and Jolisa Jones and Lauren Wall two each.

Mary Kennedy was 3-for-4 for Christopher Newport.

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