HICKORY, N.C. - The wind was blowing out to left field, but Wade Cuda didn't need any help. The Bear center fielder hit three home runs to left field, and the Bear pitching staff allowed only two hits for its second shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory over No. 14 Goldey-Beacom on Friday afternoon at Durham Field. Drew Yniesta also went deep as the Bears hit four home runs, and the LR pitching staff struck out 15 Lightning batters in the shutout. 

Watch Cuda's postgame interview here.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 5, Goldey-Beacom 0
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (5-1), Goldey-Beacom (1-0)
Location: Hickory, N.C. | Durham Field

STATS AND INFO

• Andrew Patrick got the start for the Bears and was lights out again, pitching six shutout innings and allowing just one single hit. He added four walks and nine strikeouts. 
• For the second game in a row, Cuda hit the first pitch of the bottom of the 2nd inning out of the ballpark to left field. 
• Patrick walked the bases loaded in the 3rd inning, but a pair of strikeouts and a beautiful diving stop by Cole Laskowski at second base saved multiple runs in the inning. 
• In the 4th inning, Yniesta continued his torrid start to the season with a moonshot of a home run just inside the left field foul pole to make it 2-0 Bears. 
• Patrick didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning, and struck out four of the last six batters he faced.
• Cuda came up again in the bottom of the 6th with two outs, and did more of the same. His second home run was a line drive that bounced off the top of the left field fence and out of the park. It was 3-0 Bears at that point. 
• Jackson Reid came on to pitch the 7th for LR and loaded the bases after a hit by pitch, a single and a walk. Facing an All-Region player in Mason Maxwell with the bases loaded, Reid promptly struck him out on three pitches to preserve the lead. 
• Spencer Floyd pitched a clean 8th for the Bears, and then Cuda came up again and unloaded again, this time a two-run shot to left center field that scored Scott Meitzler. 
• Michael Allen pitched a perfect 9th inning to protect the shutout. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• LR is now 4-0 all-time against Goldy-Beacom. The Lightning got swept in a three-game series in Hickory in 2018. 
• Cuda's three home runs are the most in a game for the Bears since Drue Galassi hit two in a game last April against Newberry. 
• Cuda now has four home runs on the season, tied for the most in the country. 
• Patrick is now 2-0 on the season with 12 IP. He has yet to give up a run, and has racked up 17 strikeouts as well. 
• With two more hits, Yniesta is still hitting .500 on the year. The Erskine transfer is 13-for-26 with two homers, two doubles and four RBIs. 

UP NEXT: The Bears and Lightning continue their four-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow. First pitch in game one is at 12 p.m., and game two will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.