Mars Hill, N.C. - The 11th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University Softball Team (34-7, 13-1) pushed its winning streak to eight games with a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader sweep of Mars Hill College (27-16, 5-9), 1-0 and 10-7, Monday afternoon at Ponder Field.
Lenoir-Rhyne also ran its winning streak against conference opponents on the road to 18 dating back to 2009.
Game One - Lenoir-Rhyne 1, Mars Hill 0
Junior Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) pitched her seventh shutout of the year after limiting the Lions to just five hits while striking out three.?
Millwood also fanned the final batter of the contest with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.
L-R's lone run came in the top of the second when sophomore designated player Megan Laxton (Taylorsville, N.C.) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
Mars Hill's Taylor Morris (Weddington, N.C.) suffered the loss despite allowing just one unearned?run while scattering 10 hits.
Box Score
Game Two - Lenoir-Rhyne 10, Mars Hill 7
Millwood (19-3) was credited with the win again while improving to 9-0 against league opponents this year and L-R was able to hold on for the victory after jumping out to a 6-0 advantage.
The Bears opened the scoring with six runs in their half of the second inning highlighted by a solo home run from freshman third baseman Haily Jarman (Wadesboro, N.C.) and a three-run round-tripper by junior second baseman Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.).
The Lions, however, battled back to cut the margin to 6-5 with a five-run second inning of their own which included a two-run double by Megan Arrington (Waynesville, N.C.).
L-R reasserted itself when senior outfielder Brandi Haithcock (Snow Camp, N.C.) connected on a two-run home run in the third frame and the Bears added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to put the contest out of reach.
Morris fell to 13-6 on the year after taking the loss for the Lions once again.
Box Score
Lenoir-Rhyne hosts South Atlantic Conference-rival Catawba in its home regular season finale on Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.? Mars Hill hosts Tusculum in a league doubleheader Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
