Hickory, N.C.-- For the second straight season, the Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Team opened up the season with a sweep. This year, the opponent was 35-win Columbus St. but the Bears handed the Cougars a pair of losses thanks to the long ball. LR hit five home runs, including a grand slam from Savannah Moorefield and two bombs from Kylee Leonhardt, to top the Peach Belt Conference opponent. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 11 , Columbus State 2
Game 2 Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 9, Columbus State 7
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (2-0), Columbis State  (0-2)
Location: Bears Field | Hickory, N.C.

STATS OF GAME ONE:

• Leonhardt started and ended the game with home runs. A two-run blast to left in the first put the Bears up 2-1 and another 2-run bomb to dead center invoked the mercy rule in the sixth inning. 
• Talon LaClair added a two-run shot in the fourth inning and Lora Beth Wood plated two more with a double to left center as LR pushed across four runs to take a 7-1 lead. 
• After the Cougars cut the lead to 7-2 in the top of the fifth, Mackensi Swain answered with LR's third of four 2-run bombs in the game. 
• Leonhardt finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and LaClair was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and RBIs. Wood and Lauren Rakes also had multi-hit games. 
• Moorefield added a stolen base and drew three walks from the leadoff spot. 
• In her LR debut, freshman Morgan Beeler allowed two runs through six innings to earn her first career win. Beeler struck out five and allowed just three hits. 

STATS OF GAME TWO:

• Game two featured an 8-run first inning for the Bears and each team hitting a grand slam.
• For the second time, Columbus St. scored first but the Bears would answer in a major way. LR would push across eight runs on five hits in the first, capped by a grand slam from Moorefield. Moorefield went 2-for-2 in the inning and led the game off with a single as the first five hitters reached base safely.
• In the opening frame, LR drew six walks and sent 14 hitters to the plate. 
• Moorefield went 5-for-5 on the day and drove in five runs. Swain drew three walks and drove in a run.
• Rakes would earn her first career victory in the nightcap, tossing four innings and allowing four earned runs. Mary Anna Clement earned her first career save by tossing three innings and allowing just one hit and two runs. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• The last meeting between these schools was February 20, 2016 in Hickory, N.C. On that day, the Bears hung on for a 7-6 win. The Bears scored 7 runs in the first three innings before holding off Columbus State, who had the tying run on base in the top of the 7th.
• Columbus State had a 35-16 record last year and finished second in the PBC. They enter the 2020 season predicted to finish third in the conference based on the preseason poll.
• Since 2015, the Bears are 11-1 on opening day. The only lost was in the first game of the Gulf Coast Invite to West Alabama 6-2 in 2018. The Bears did bounce back later in that day defeating Lee 3-2 in 8 innings.  
• In Game 1, Junior shortshop Laclair started her 100th career game for the Bears.
• Leonhardt's first homerun was the 20th of her career.
• Moorefield's four runs give her 100 in her career and her stolen base was her 30th. She comes off a 2019 that saw her score the 7th most runs in a season in program history.

UP NEXT: Bears will travel to Due West, SC on Monday for a doubleheader against Erskine.