GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team battled back and forth in a pitcher's duel, and the opening game of the weekend series took 12 innings to decide as the Bears drop the Saturday afternoon game, 4-3.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Finals: Tusculum 4, Lenoir-Rhyne 3 (12-Innings)
Records: Tusculum (28-19, 15-7 SAC), Lenoir-Rhyne (22-25, 7-15 SAC)
Location: Pioneer Park | Greeneville, Tenn.
STATS OF THE GAME:
• LR and Tusculum were locked in a 2-2 ballgame from the fourth through the twelfth inning. Lenoir-Rhyne's scoring came from a triple from
Will Jones and a single down the line to give the Bears the 2-0 lead. The Pioneers answered with two runs batted in off a single to left center by Jarel McDade, both were unearned runs.
• In the eleventh it was
Brock Johnson who brought in a run with a double to left center, scoring Jones to put the Bears on top. But a sacrifice fly tied the game and the next inning an error by the road team's shortstop allowed the winning run to be plated in the 12
th.
• Typically the game three starter,
Jake Conroy was given the opportunity to start in game one for Lenoir-Rhyne. Conroy worked 4.2, giving up two unearned runs while scattering four hits and striking out four batters.
Hunter Martin took the loss in his fourth inning of work after striking out three in the same appearance.
• It was Tusculum's Mitch McCain who earned his fifth win of the year in relief in just 1.1 innings of work. Chares Hall got the start and struck out nine Bears batters in 7.0 innings of work on the mound.
• Tusculum was led at the plate by Jaden Steagall and Nate Montgomery who each had two base hits, while Lenoir-Rhyne's Jones had three base hits, an RBI and two runs scored in the game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• The Bears have been on the wrong end of extra-inning games more times than not, as this marks their fourth loss when free baseball is played.
• Only one of the Pioneers' four runs were earned, thanks to three LR miscues.
UP NEXT:
LR will play the final two games of conference play in a doubleheader against the Pioneers on Monday afternoon with a start time of 3 p.m.