They were just as enthused about her.

"She was really on today," third baseman Pearl Coleshill said. "We didn't have to do too much but when she needed us, we were there."

Wooldridge cut through the league's most powerful offense and got some key saves from her defense as the Eagles advanced to the Big South Conference tournament championship. Winthrop (35-17) will play Liberty at 3 p.m. today for the title and an automatic pass to the NCAA tournament.

Wooldridge (16-9) scattered seven hits -- three to Ashley Carlson -- and worked out of a couple of two-on jams as the Eagles scored late for the second straight day. Holding on to a 2-0 lead and needing three outs, Wooldridge fired to Larissa Williams and about started a bonfire.

Williams belted a high shot to left that had Wooldridge praying. "I kept saying, 'Lenny's got it, Lenny's got it,'" she said.

Just as Wooldridge's pleading crescendoed, left fielder Lenny Stoddart stretched every bit of her 5-foot-10 frame and brought the home run back in the park, safely secured in her glove. Second baseman Sarah Magee made a sliding catch of a foul pop-up for the second out and Stephanie Reid caught the final popup for the game-clincher.

Mission accomplished.

"I love my defense," Wooldridge said. "They were a big stepping stone for me."

"Cari just threw one of the most beautiful ballgames I've ever seen," exclaimed coach Mark Cooke, who will guide the Eagles into the championship game for the ninth time. "She had them figured out, and that's a great ball team over there."

Before the tournament began, Winthrop thought it would have to go through the Highlanders (46-14), who'd finished second to the Eagles by a game in the regular season. The only teams the two lost to were each other.

It was a stalemate until the fifth, when Coleshill lifted a one-out single to right. Tessa Thomas belted a single to left that Cassie Rhodes fielded on the hop and threw in.

Coleshill hesitated at second because she saw the throw was high and 6-foot Ashley Taylor seemed to have a bead on it. But the throw smacked off the Radford dugout and out of play.

Following a discussion, Coleshill and Thomas were awarded two bases each. Coleshill scored and Thomas came in on Stephanie Reid's RBI single.

"I had to wait ... I didn't want to get yelled at," Coleshill said. "But once I saw coach waving me, I came on home."

With a 2-0 lead, Wooldridge returned to the job and gave up just a two-out single for the duration. Stoddart bailed out Wooldridge, Magee followed and Wooldridge got the last batter with no trouble.

"It was mostly my dropball," Wooldridge said. "I knew what I had to do. We wanted to be here because now we can relax and look forward to (today)."

n (3) COASTAL CAROLINA 1, (5) BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN 0 (8) -- Brittany Birnbaum's flare bounced just under the glove of Birmingham-Southern left fielder Melissa Muehlenfeld, lifting Coastal Carolina (20-39) to an elimination-game victory.

The game was scoreless at the end of regulation and the Panthers (32-28) stranded their courtesy runner at third base. Coastal's Kelsey Riffel took second in the bottom of the eighth and moved to third on Ashley Pisone's sacrifice bunt.

Ashley Pederson struck out, but Laicole Walker walked. Birnbaum swung on the first pitch and it fell an inch too short for BSC to recover.

n (4) LIBERTY 5, (6) CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 3 -- Liberty stayed alive by eliminating Charleston Southern on the strength of 14 hits, its second-highest output of the season.

The Flames (18-39-1) overcame a two-out solo homer from CSU's Ashley Conway in the first inning with two runs each in the third and fourth. The Buccaneers ended their season at 18-41.

n (4) LIBERTY 8, (3) COASTAL CAROLINA 2 -- Liberty scored in six straight innings and won its second straight elimination game. Ashley Williams hit a solo homer in the sixth to highlight a three-run frame.

Coastal (20-40) finished its season while the Flames (19-39-1) moved on to face Radford.

n (4) LIBERTY 2, (2) RADFORD 0 -- Liberty (20-39-1) handed Radford its second loss of the day and sent the Highlanders (46-15) into a waiting game for Sunday, where they'll find out if they can earn an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

Liberty won its third game of the day with Sarah Ellis (9-2) three-hitting Radford. She only struck out one batter but didn't walk anybody while her teammates scratched two runs across.

Join the Winthrop softball team as it finds out its postseason destination.

• What: NCAA softball tournament selection show

• Where: Winthrop Coliseum

• When: 10 p.m. Sunday

• Admission: Free

• Note: Selections will be televised on ESPNews (cable channel 26 in Rock Hill) and ESPNU (digital cable channel 206 in Rock Hill)

Terry Field, Winthrop

FRIDAY

• Game 5 -- (4) Liberty 5, (6) Charleston Southern 3

• Game 6 -- (3) Coastal Carolina 1,(5) Birmingham-Southern 0 (8)

• Game 7 -- (1) Winthrop 2, (2) Radford 0

• Game 8 -- (4) Liberty 8, (3) Coastal Carolina 2

• Game 9 -- (4) Liberty 2, (2) Radford 0

TODAY

• Game 10 -- (1) Winthrop vs. (4) Liberty, 3 p.m.

• Game 11 -- Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 30 minutes following*

*If necessary