Hickory, N.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne (14-4, 1-1) and Mars Hill (14-7, 3-2) split a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Henderson Field. The Bears won the first game – 4-3 – before the Lions took the nightcap, 10-3.
Game One – Lenoir-Rhyne 4,
Mars Hill 3
Lenoir-Rhyne freshman outfielder Justin Lara (Coconut Creek, Fla.) hit a solo home run to tie the game at two before sophomore outfielder Marcus Shoemaker (Colfax, N.C.) came through with the game-winning, two-run single to lead the Bears to the win.
Both hits took place in a three-run sixth inning while sophomore Austin Hancock (Defiance, Ohio) improved to 3-0 on the year with the victory. Hancock allowed just one earned run in five innings of work while junior John Curtis (Lenoir, N.C.) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Curtis struck out the side.
For Mars Hill, Phillip Carroll (Hickory, N.C.) had an RBI double while Zac Brown (Albemarle, N.C.) fell to 1-2 after taking the loss.
Box Score
Game Two – Mars Hill 10, Lenoir-Rhyne 3 (seven innings)
The Lions jumped on the Bears early with three-run first and second innings, respectively, to salvage the split. Mars Hill's Dylan Powers (Botetourt, Va.) hit a two-run home run in the first frame and finished with three hits and five runs batted in.
Lenoir-Rhyne senior first baseman Colby Dishmond (Statesville, N.C.) and junior third baseman David Newcomer (Archdale, N.C.) hit solo home runs despite the loss. Junior Thomas St. Clair (Winston-Salem, N.C.) (1-1) was tagged with the setback for the Bears.
Dalton Eisenbath (Matthews, N.C.) and Brett Brubaker (Orlando, Fla.) hit home runs while Hunter Boydston (Asheville, N.C.) (3-1) earned the complete game victory for the Lions.
Box Score
The two teams wrap up the South Atlantic Conference weekend series with a single game on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
