HICKORY, N.C.   – On Senior Day, the Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Team earned a split with Tusculum in the regular season finale on Monday afternoon. With the split, the Bears clinched a bid to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament this weekend. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Finals: Lenoir-Rhyne 11, Tusculum 6; Tusculum 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 7
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (26-18, 9-10 SAC), Tusculum (21-20, 7-12 SAC)
Location: Bears Field | Hickory, N.C.

STATS OF GAME ONE:
•    After Tusculum plated a pair in the top of the first, Lenoir-Rhyne stormed back with a 3-spot in the bottom of the frame. Talon LaClair drove in one with a single up the middle and Mackensi Swain doubled in two more to give the Bears a lead they wouldn't relinquish. 
•    The offense didn't stop as LR pushed across four more runs in the bottom of the second. Savannah Moorefield's single drove in Macie Gibson and Erin Boone drove in one more with her double to right. LaClair added RBI's number two and three on the game with a single. 
•    A 3-run homer for the visitors narrowed the gap to 7-5 but the Bears rebounded with four in the bottom of the third. 
•    For the game, Lenoir-Rhyne had 14 hits led by a 4-for-4 day from LaClair who finished with five runs driven in. Taylor Beard, Gibson and Moorefield each had two hits and Moorefield scored three times. 

STATS OF GAME TWO:
•    For the second straight game, Tusculum scored in the top of the first. In this game, Tusculum pushed across three runs and the Bears would answer with three of their own in the bottom of the frame. Swain drove in a pair with a double and Beard knocked her in with a base hit to right. 
•    Unfortunately, Tusculum would erupt for four runs in the top of the second and one more in the top of the fifth. 
•    Moorefield wouldn't let the Bears go down quietly, homering in her final two at bats. The sophomore clubbed a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth and followed up with a 3-run bomb in the sixth to cut the lead to 8-7. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
•    The Bears had a chance to do more damage than just one run in the bottom of the fifth trailing 8-4. LR loaded the bases with nobody out but failed to push a run across. 
•    Tusculum had 17 hits in game two, the most hits allowed by the Bears in a game all season. 
•    LR ended the regular season by dropping six of their final seven games. Heading into the week, the Bears were ranked No. 4 in the Southeast Region with the updated regional rankings coming out on Wednesday.
•    Prior to first pitch, Lenoir-Rhyne honored four seniors. Cassie Healy, Boone, Emily Kenley and Brandi Parks, who all played in their final game at Bears Field today. 
 
UP NEXT:
The Bears return to action on Friday in the opening round of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament. Game time is TBD but the tournament is hosted by Catawba.