DeLand, Fla. -- She described it as the biggest home run of her collegiate career.
Lindsay Wightman's two-out, two-run home run off Brittany Stanley in the top of the eighth inning lifted Stetson to a dramatic 2-0 victory over Campbell in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament Thursday evening at Patricia Wilson Field.
The Hatters (42-20) will face Gardner-Webb for the conference championship beginning at Noon on Saturday. Stetson must win twice to capture the A-Sun title.
"It was a great team effort," Stetson coach Frank Griffin said. "We needed that kind of win in a close game to gives us some confidence going into tomorrow. If we win that first game it will put all of the pressure on Gardner-Webb."
The loss ended the season for the Camels (29-40-1) and spoiled a brilliant effort from starting pitcher Lauren Caviness. The Campbell junior fired a three-hit shutout in the previous game against ETSU (a 3-0 Campbell victory) and then held the Hatters scoreless through the first seven innings before giving way to Stanley in the eighth.
After retiring the first two batters, Stanley knocked down a hard comebacker off the bat of Andrea Migliori but threw late to first. That set up Wightman's heroics, as she hammered a 2-0 pitch deep over the scoreboard in leftcenter field.
"She threw me in, and I just kept my head down and turned on it," Wightman said. "It was a huge win for us and it gives us a lot of momentum going into tomorrow's doubleheader."
Hatter starter Amanda Lindsey battled her way through five scoreless innings, surrendering eight hits. Erica Demers (19-5) pitched three perfect innings of relief, striking out five to earn the victory.
"I took Demers out (early) against Gardner-Webb because she wasn't pitching well," Griffin said. "But she was much better tonight with pep and movement on her ball."
The Hatters came up with a big defensive play in the fifth to keep the game scoreless. With runners at first and second and two outs, Amanda Littlejohn lined a ball off of Lindsey that ricocheted towards the first base line. Migliori came in to field the ball and made a diving tag on Littlejohn as she ran by.
Nicole Forbes tallied three hits for the second straight game and raised her tournament batting average to .625 (10-16). The Hatters have hit four home runs in their four games.
