Hickory, N.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team (14-6) fell to Belmont Abbey (11-11), 4-2, Wednesday night in a regional affair at Bears Field.
Trailing by a 2-1 score in the top of the seventh inning, the Crusaders took the lead for good thanks to a three-run home run from Kayden Krause (Charlotte, N.C.).
Lenoir-Rhyne junior outfielder
Marcus Shoemaker (Colfax, N.C.) hit an RBI double but the Bears suffered their third consecutive loss.
Belmont Abbey's Troy Herterick (Dacula, Ga.) improved to 2-0 on the season after allowing just one earned run with five strikeouts while pitching into the seventh inning. Ross Garrett (Fleming Island, Fla.) was credited with the save after registering seven strikeouts.
Lenoir-Rhyne junior
Connor Dailey (Rutherfordton, N.C.) (1-1) suffered the loss in relief while Shoemaker and sophomore outfielder
Justin Dean (Mauldin, S.C.) each totaled two hits for the Bears.
Lenoir-Rhyne returns to South Atlantic Conference play on Friday at 6:00 p.m., against Lincoln Memorial at Bears Field. Belmont Abbey plays Barton on the road in Wilson, N.C., on Friday beginning at 2:30 p.m.