HICKORY, N.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team lost a pair of games in Saturday's doubleheader to wrap up the three-game South Atlantic Conference series against the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters. The Bears dropped game one 9-8, and fell in game two 10-1.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Finals: Lincoln Memorial 9, Lenoir-Rhyne 8; Lincoln Memorial 10, Lenoir-Rhyne 1
Records: Lincoln Memorial (19-8, 10-2 SAC), Lenoir-Rhyne (11-15, 4-8 SAC)
Location: Bears Field | Hickory, N.C.
STATS OF GAME ONE:
• LR allowed two innings of scoring, but they were explosive, as the Railsplitters scored three in the fourth inning and six in the sixth. LMU tallied 12 hits, led by first baseman and clean-up hitter Chris Salvey who finished 3-for-5 with two runs batted in, one double and one run scored. Three others notched multiple base hits in the game.
• The Bears were sparked by leadoff hitter
Grant Fuller, who finished 3-for-5 with one RBI and three runs scored.
Clayton Jeffries was not far behind, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Hunter Jackson was the only other hitter for LR to record a two-hit game.
• Lenoir-Rhyne junior
Alex Shirazi earned the start and went 5.2 innings while giving up five earned runs and striking out five.
Hunter Martin worked the final 3.1 for LR.
• After being chased in the third inning, Eli Wright took a no-decision in 2.1 innings of work with two runs and three hits given up. Hudson Widrig for LMU earned the win, working 2.2 innings, limiting the damage to two earned runs. Devin Morris earned his fourth save of the season, working the final 4.0 innings and giving up four runs on four hits and four strikeouts.
• Trailing 9-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Bears staged a rally. Jeffries doubled in a run in the sixth and then EJ Ranel blasted a solo shot in the seventh. The Bears pushed across two in the bottom of the eighth but were retired in order in the ninth as LMU secured at least a series win.
STATS OF GAME TWO:
• The Bears' bats were shut down for the most part with the exception of a two-hit game from Ranel, including an RBI double and a pair of hits from
Will Jones and Jackson.
• Lenoir-Rhyne's starter in the final game of the series was senior
Paul Hall. The Norfolk, Va. native fell to 3-4 on the season after working 6.0 innings and striking out eight, following up on last weekend's 11 strikeout performance.
• Joe Bobiak picked up the win in relief after an appearance the night before. He worked 1.2 innings without giving up a hit or a run and walking one batter. He is now 6-3 on the season.
• LMU had three batters go for multiple base hits, and were led by Nate Stinson, who finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• After the loss, the Bears fall to 4-10 at Bears Field.
• Hall's eight strikeouts in the series finale gives him 19 in his past two appearances.
• Jackson and Ranel were the only Bears to record a hit in both games. Ranel hit his fifth homerun of the year in game one, making it two on the weekend and two games in-a-row.
UP NEXT:
LR will have a midweek series with Belmont Abbey, one on the road on Tuesday and one Wednesday at home.
