Blythewood, S.C. -- University of Lynchburg's National Collegiate Equestrian Association team suffered another hard-fought loss Saturday, battling to a 6-4 defeat at host South Carolina at the One Wood Farm.

Sophomore Kelley McCormick led the way for the Hornets, winning both her points on the day, while senior Taylor Herzog won on the flat and sophomore Jacqueline Needle won a fences point.

Action got under way on the flat, and McCormick led off the day with an 80-point ride on Glen that proved to be a 20-point victory over her Gamecocks adversary. Herzog bookended the Lynchburg rides with victories, scoring 80.5 points on Joe for a 5.5-point victory. South Carolina took a 3-2 lead into the fences discipline.

The Hornets had a tough start to fences with 55- and 40-point rides, but Lynchburg pulled it together in the late going. Needle scored out at 77 points on Redford for victory, and McCormick followed with a one-point win atop Steve Irwin to bring the meet down to its final ride. USC took the last decision, however, and ran away with the home win.

The meet concluded the regular season for Lynchburg's NCEA squad. The Hornets, ranked No. 2 in the NCEA's single-discipline poll, will now set their sights on the Eastern College Athletic Conference's single-discipline championships, scheduled for March 18-19 at Sweet Briar College's Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center.

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--LYN--