Bristol, Tenn.-- Homeruns from Cassidy Wall and Katelyn Rackard along with another dazzling start from Lauren Rakes in the circle led the Bears to their second straight sweep to open the 2023 season. The Bears won 2-0 in game one then collected 16 hits in an 8-1 win in the night cap. The Bears will now prepare for their home opener this weekend during the two-day Bear Bash.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game One Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 2, King 0
Game Two Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 8, King 1
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (4-0) King (0-2)
Location: King Softball Field I Bristol, Tenn.
STATS OF GAME ONE:
- After missing Saturday's season opening series, Wall rejoined the starting lineup today as last year's SAC Freshman of the Year crushed a solo homerun in her first at-bat of the season to give the Bears a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
- Bears extended their lead to two later in the inning after back-to-back doubles by Faith Carrigan and Lora Beth Wood.
- Wood was the only Bear with multi-hits in game one as the senior went 2-3.
- The two runs were plenty for Rakes (2-0) as she allowed just a one-out double in the bottom of the second inning. Rakes did walk four on the afternoon but did not allow a runner to reach third base for the second straight game. Rakes also struck out seven.
STATS OF GAME TWO:
- The Bears jumped out with a three-spot in the top of the first as Talon LaClair, Carrigan and Wood all had RBI hits during the inning.
- Three errors by the Bears in the bottom of the first allowed King to score a run to cut the lead to 3-1. Morgan Beeler stuck out Lauren Lawson with runners on the corners to get out of the early jam and avoid any more damage.
- It took Rackard just four games to match her homerun total from last year as the sophomore hit her third homerun of the season, a two-run shot, in the top of the second to extend the lead to 5-1.
- For the third straight inning, the Bears scored multiple runs in an inning as LR plated three more runs in the third. Graleigh Hildebran had a two-run single and Julia Mardigian had a RBI double. The Bears had a dozen hits in the first three innings.
- After giving up a single hit in each of the first three innings, Beeler did not allow another hit until a lead-off single in the seventh inning as Beeler picked up her first win of the season going the distance giving up just that unearned run in the first. Beeler also struck out eight in the circle today.
- In the night cap, the first five hitters in the Bears lineup had at least two hits lead by a 3-5 game from Mardigian.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Bears are now 17-5 against King all-time including allowing just one run in the last four games.
- With three hits today, LaClair has 195 career hits. Five away from the 200 milestone.
- Rackard started her 50th career game today.
- Rakes now has a 2-0 record, allowing just two hits in 14 innings while striking out 24 hitters so far this season.
UP NEXT: Home opener will be this weekend during the Bear Bash. LR will play four games in two days starting with a matchup against West Chester on Saturday at 11:00 AM.
