Hickory, N.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne (14-4, 3-2) and Catawba (12-4, 4-1) split a South Atlantic Conference Baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Bears Field.  The Bears won the first game by a 6-2 score while the Indians salvaged the split with a 13-7 triumph in the nightcap.

Lenoir-Rhyne 6, Catawba 2
Lenoir-Rhyne senior Thomas St. Clair (Winston-Salem, N.C.) struck out 16 batters – one off his own school single-game record – and earned the complete game victory.  

St. Clair, who leads the nation in strikeouts (62), improved to 6-0 on the year after allowing just one earned run in pitching his second straight complete game.

Lenoir-Rhyne was led offensively by sophomore outfielder Justin Dean (Mauldin, S.C.), who hit a two-run home run and finished with four hits and two runs scored.

For Catawba, Kyle Smith (Greensboro, N.C.) drove in a run while Russ Weiker (Albemarle, N.C.) (1-1) suffered the loss.

Catawba 13, Lenoir-Rhyne 7 (seven innings)
The Indians took control early, plating six runs in the second inning, and held off a Bears' rally while taking advantage of four Lenoir-Rhyne errors in splitting the doubleheader.

Lenoir-Rhyne cut the lead to 8-6 with a five-run fifth inning highlighted by a three-run home run from senior second baseman David Newcomer (Archdale, N.C.) but Catawba responded with a four-run seventh frame.  Seven of Catawba's 13 runs were unearned.

The Indians' Luke Setzer (Salisbury, N.C.) and Chance Bowden (Salisbury, N.C.) both hit home runs while Nick Coble (Concord, N.C.) improved to 2-0 after picking up the win.  Lenoir-Rhyne senior John Curtis (Lenoir, N.C.) (1-1) was tagged with the defeat.

The two teams wrap up the weekend series with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m., at Bears Field.