Hickory, N.C.-
Lora Beth Wood's homerun in the bottom of the 7th of game two gives the Lenoir-Rhyne's Softball a spilt against visiting Catawba in a SAC doubleheader on Tuesday. After the Bears fell in game one 9-1, LR used homeruns by
Kylee Leonhardt and Wood to come away with the 6-4 win in the night cap.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Final: Catawba 9, Lenoir-Rhyne 1 (6 innings)
Game 2 Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 6, Catawba 4
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (13-7, 9-5 SAC), Catawba (17-7, 6-6 SAC)
Location: Bears Field I Hickory, N.C.
STATS OF GAME ONE:
- Three batters into the game, Catawba took a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer from Jordan Dean, her 7th of the season.
- Kendall Osborne saved a run in the top of the third with perfect one-hop throw from left field to cut down the Indians' Sydney Goertzen at the plate to end the inning.
- The Bears took advantage of a two-out error in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead in half with a Lora Beth Wood RBI single.
- Four runs for Catawba in the 4th on just two hits, Indians used a walk, wild pitch, Sac fly. and a LR error to take a 6-1 lead.
- Dean delivers again for Catawba with a three-run homerun in the 6th to gave the Indians a 9-1 lead.
- Lauren Rakes took the loss in the circle and falls to 5-3 on the year. Rakes gave up four runs in four innings on the afternoon.
- The bullpen for the Bears gave up 5 runs (3 earned) in two innings of work.
- 1-3 hitters for Catawba went 6-9 with eight runs.
- Wood went 2-2 for the Bears and had two of the three Bear hits.
STATS OF GAME TWO:
- Savannah Moorefield and Kylee Leonhardt singles to open the first allowed the Bears to score first with a RBI groundout by Rakes.
- Indians tied it up in the next half inning with a lead-off triple by Gracie Gibson then a single by Riley Tucker.
- After an one-out double by Moorefield, Leonhardt hit her 7th homerun of the year with a blast to left.
- Hannah Jennings with a RBI single in the bottom of the 4th extended the Bears lead to three through four innings.
- A solo shot by Catawba's Bailey Benton to lead off the top of the 5th cut the Bears lead to 4-2
- A drop fly ball by LR with two-outs allowed Catawba to tie it at four later in the 5th.
- The game stayed tied until Rakes opened the bottom the seventh with a single then Wood lined a 2-0 pitch just over the left field fence to walk it off.
- Morgan Beeler (4-0) got the win in the circle throwing the complete game while striking out five and allowing just two earned runs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Game one today marked the 1700th career game for the program.
- Leonhardt entered today's action 13th in the Nation in doubles (8) and total bases (55).
- With hits in both games, Wood extended her hitting streak to five games.
- Leonhardt's homerun moved her into sole possession of fourth place in program history. It was her 36th career homerun.
- Moorefield went 3-4 in game two and it was her 20th career game with at least three hits.
- Bears move to 9-0 in night games since 2015.
UP NEXT: LR will travel to #13 Young Harris for a non-conference matchup Thursday.