JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 5, 2007) - The 2007 Atlantic Sun Softball Tournament game times have been announced, and the third-seed ETSU Bucs and fourth-seed Lipscomb Lady Bisons will kick off the three-day double elimination tournament at nine o'clock Thursday morning on Patricia Wilson Field, located on the campus of Stetson University in DeLand, Fla.

ETSU (25-27, 10-8) swept at the time first-place Lipscomb, back on April 7 in Johnson City, as the Bucs teed off on Lady Bisons pitching, totaling 25 runs on 25 hits. As a team the Bucs hit .510 (25-49) with six doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI, while the pitching staff limited Lipscomb to one run on nine hits in 10.0 IP. Jessie Hackworth (Clinton, Tenn.) was perfect on the frigid April Saturday, going 6-for-6 with a double and four RBI, and senior Stephanie Gaynord (Manassas, Va.) flexed her muscles by belting two home runs off the Lady Bisons pitching staff. In the circle, Mary Catherine Vercoe (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) and Darci Gilbert (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) mesmerized the visitors from Nashville, posting a 0.70 ERA (1ER/10.IP) with six strikeouts. 

After being projected to finish ninth in the conference standings, Lipscomb (25-26-1, 9-8-1) surprised everyone by earning the fourth seed; however, have lost eight of its last 10 games as they enter the tournament. Lipscomb, one of the youngest teams in the nation (nine freshmen), is led by junior Heather Collins, who finished the regular season with a .370 batting average, along with eight doubles and a team-leading 14 home runs and 53 RBI. The Lady Bisons led the league in hitting (.307) and finished right below ETSU for seventh in pitching (4.06 ERA).

The winner of ETSU/Lipscomb will face the winner of Gardner-Webb/Campbell at 6 p.m. on Thursday, while the loser gets the winner of Stetson/Mercer at 8 p.m. The winner of the 2007 A-Sun Tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, which begins May 18. 

Fans will be able to view all the action of the entire tournament through live video streaming, by visiting http://atlanticsun.org/softball/softballchampionship.asp and clicking on the live video link. For ticket information email [email protected] or call (386) 738-HATS.