DeLand, Fla. – The Stetson softball team (42-23) split on opening Thursday at the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament, held at Patricia Wilson Field.  The second-seeded Hatters fell 3-2 to fifth-seeded Campbell in their opener before rallying to eliminate top-seeded Lipscomb 3-2.  Sophomore pitcher Amanda Lindsey (Byhalia, Miss.) picked up her 23rd win and tied the game in the seventh inning with her sixth home run of the season.

Against Lipscomb, Stetson took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when senior second baseman Nicole Forbes (Tampa, Fla.) tripled to right field and came around to score on an RBI single by senior third baseman Lindsay Wightman (Surrey, B.C.)

That lead held until the bottom of the fifth, when the Lady Bisons tied the game on an RBI single by first baseman Heather Collins.  Later in the inning, third baseman Christen Campbell plated the go-ahead run with an RBI groundout.

The Hatters didn’t score in the sixth, and when the leadoff batter in the seventh made an out, the prospects of the season being extended looked bleak.  Lindsey changed that immediately, driving an Alaina Jacobson pitch over the left center field wall to tie the game at 2-2.

Senior right fielder Amy Peters (Niceville, Fla.) reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second with two out to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.  The next batter, sophomore center fielder Amy Joyce (Lake Mary, Fla.), singled up the middle; Peters rounded third and headed for home on the signal from Head Coach Frank Griffin.  The throw from center field was in plenty of time, but Peters made an outstanding slide, slipping her lead leg past catcher Jennifer Allsup and onto the plate just before the tag.

Lindsey got the final three outs in the seventh to advance the Hatters to Friday’s round.  Stetson must win two elimination games tomorrow to keep going in the A-Sun Tournament.  The Hatters take on Mercer at 3:30 p.m.  Jamie Bataille calls all the action on A-Sun.TV with live stats at www.gohatters.com.  Mercer lost 2-0 to ETSU and defeated Gardner-Webb 3-0 today.

Forbes had two hits for Stetson and Collins had two for Lipscomb.  Lindsey allowed two runs on five hits and four walks in seven innings, striking out six.  Jacobson took the season-ending loss, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Stetson lost 3-2 in the opener to Campbell with Keeli Michael’s second inning three-run homer the big blow that beat the Hatters.  Wightman drove in a run with a squeeze bunt in the first while Joyce drew a bases-loaded walk for the other Hatter run.

Brittany Stanley earned the win for Campbell, tossing a complete game with two runs allowed on four hits and seven walks.  She struck out five.  Stetson junior Erica Demers (Miami, Fla.) gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.