Florence, S.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team (3-0) blanked Southern Wesleyan, 4-0, and came back a few hours later to defeat Francis Marion by a 7-5 score on Saturday on the final day of the Carolinas Hospital System Classic at Sparrow Stadium.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 4, Southern Wesleyan 0; Lenoir-Rhyne 7, Francis Marion 5
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (3-0), Southern Wesleyan (1-2) and Francis Marion (2-1)
Location: Sparrow Stadium | Florence, S.C.
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STATS OF THE GAME (Southern Wesleyan):
• Senior pitcher
Matt Sullivan (Bristol, Va.) (1-0) got the starting nod and was dominant, going seven innings while putting up a goose egg on the board with just three hits and one walk allowed in addition to seven strikeouts. Lenoir-Rhyne senior
Patrick LaGanke (Raleigh, N.C.) and sophomore
Brett Fulk (East Bend, N.C.) completed the shutout on the back end, giving up one more hit and fanning four in the process for the Bears.
• At the plate, the Bears doubled their opponent in hits by an 8-4 count. Junior outfielder
Justin Dean (Mauldin, S.C.) and sophomore second baseman
Corbin Watson (Eden, N.C.) led the way with two hits each.
• Lenoir-Rhyne senior outfielder
Marcus Shoemaker (Colfax, N.C.) accounted for two of the team's four runs batted in thanks to his first home run of the season, a shot over the right field wall in the fifth frame.
STATS OF THE GAME (Francis Marion):
• The Bears used five pitchers with sophomore
Nolan Flachofsky (Pfafftown, N.C.) (1-0) earning the victory in middle relief. Flachofsky retired all seven batters he faced. LR senior
Landon Whitson (Marion, N.C.) earned his second save in as many days, striking out the side in the ninth inning.
• The Bears held a 10-4 advantage in hits with Dean and junior first baseman
Alex Reynolds (Kings Mountain, N.C.) leading the way with three hits each.
• Shoemaker and junior outfielder
Aaron Stamper (Clemmons, N.C.) both drove in two runs for the Bears, who rallied from a 4-1 deficit to take the win.
• Francis Marion's William Robbins (Rock Hill, S.C.) hit a solo home run.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• Dean went five-of-11 (.455) from the plate today while the Bears' pitchers have registered at least 11 strikeouts in all three games so far this year.
UP NEXT:
Lenoir-Rhyne will hit the road for a midweek doubleheader against Barton on Wednesday, February 7, at 1:00 p.m., at McCrary Park in Asheboro, N.C.
