Hickory, N.C.- Down to their final out in game two,
Savannah Moorefield tied the game with an infield single then a
Katelyn Rackard RBI single in the bottom of the 9th gave the Bears the sweep over Lees-McRae to open their season. In game one,
Lauren Rakes struck out 15 Bobcats and
Cassidy Wall hit a two-run homerun for a 3-1 Bears win.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game 1 Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Lees-McRae 1
Game 2 Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 4, Lees-McRae 3 (9 innings)
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (2-0), Lees-McRae (0-2)
Location: Bears Field I Hickory, N.C.
STATS OF GAME ONE:
- Bears got on the board in the bottom of the second with a Hannah Jennings single. Jennings then stole second and scored on a two-out hit by Julia Mardigian.
- Wall got her first collegiate homerun with a two-run shot in the bottom of the five to gave the Bears a 3-0 lead
- The last out is always the toughest one to get and that was the case today as the Bobcats got a single by Megan Powell then a RBI double by Rylie Webster before Rakes got Emma Jackson to fly out to deep left field as the tying run to end the game.
- Rakes went the distance only allowing that one run on three hits while striking out a career-high 15.
STATS OF GAME TWO:
- Bobcats got on the board first with an infield hit by Lauren Ritchie. RItchie advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score when Emma Jackson's double went through the left side when it went off the diving glove of Rackard.
- After a Julie Gast's bunt single in the top of the third, the Bobcats had first and third with one out. Lees-McRae then tried a double steal but Mardigian cut off Hildebran's throw to second then throw back to Hildebran to throw the runner out at the plate to keep the score 1-0.
- 1-0 looked like the final after a double-play in the bottom of the seventh as the Bears were down to their final out with no one on. Pitch hitting Rakes lined a double to left center then with a heads up play took third on a wild pitch that just got by the catcher. Moorefield then drove in Rakes with an infield single to short just beating the throw as Moorefield slide into first.
- Gast then gave the Bobcats a 3-1 lead with a two-run double in the top of the 8th but the Bears responded with two of their own in the bottom of the inning. Jennings RBI single and a sac fly from Kailey Travis sent us to the 9th.
- After a Bears error to start the 9th, Morgan Beeler stuck out the side to keep the game tied.
- Bears then walked it off with an single through the right side by Rackard to score Kendall Osbone.
- Beeler threw a complete game striking out a career high thirteen to get her first win of the season.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Bears have now swept four straight doubleheaders to open their season and are 20-4 in season openers under Hollar.
- This is the third straight season the Bears have opened up at home.
- Bears were just 3-12 the last two season when trailing after six innings.
- Beeler's thirteen strikeouts were five more then her previous high of eight.
- Rackard went 4-8 in the doubleheader today.
UP NEXT: Bears will travel to Flager on Friday for a weekend tournament and will play the host Saints Friday at 1:00 P.M.