HICKORY, N.C. -- The No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Team outscored its two opponents 22-1 in a sweep on day one of the Bear Bash on Saturday afternoon. The Bears took down Barton 10-0 in the opener and handled Johnson C. Smith 12-1 in the finale. Each game was ended on the mercy rule as Shena Hollar moved within 17 games of 1,000 career wins.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game One Final: No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne 10, Barton 0 (6 innings)
Game Two Final: No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne 12, Johnson C. Smith 1 (5 innings)
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (12-4), Barton (7-7), Johnson C. Smith (0-4)
Game Location: Hickory, N.C. I Bears Field
STATS AND INFO:
- This is the first time since 2020 that the Bear Bash schedule wasn't affected by rain.
- The Bears improve to 6-2 at home this year.
- Hollar, who is celebrating her 25th year at LR, is closing in on her 1,000th all-time win. Hollar brought in 45 wins as the head coach at Newberry and won her 938th game at LR today.
GAME ONE INFO:
- Madison Wilson soubled to center to score Katelyn Rackard and came around on an RBI double by Julia Mardigian as LR jumped out early on Barton.
- Adda Prescott reached on an error to make it 3-0 Bears after one.
- Rackard would score on an error in the second and Cassidy Wall hit a solo bomb in the fourth as it moved to 5-0 LR.
- Lani Warren hit a 2-run shot in the fifth and Mardigian walked it off with a 3-run bomb in the sixth to invoke the mercy rule.
- Wilson went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and Mardigian went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Rackard drew three walks and scored three times from the leadoff spot.
- Lauren Rakes moved to 4-2 in the circle with five innings of one-hit ball. She struck out nine on the day.
GAME TWO INFO:
- The Bears put up a nine-spot in the bottom of the first and cruised past Johnson C. Smith. Lora Beth Wood started the scoring with an RBI double.
- Wall brought in two with a double of her own and scored on Lauren Jackson's base hit.
- Zalma Ontiveros and Rackard walked with the bases loaded and Wilson doubled to left to score a pair.
- The visitors would get one in the third before LR added three in the third.
- Summer Fontana earned her first career win by tossing five innings and striking out five.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- 16 different players saw time in game two.
- Wilson has reached base safely in 11 straight plate appearances.
- LR pounded out 21 hits in 11 innings today.
UP NEXT: Bears will return to action on Sunday when they close out the Bear Bash with a doubleheader against Barton. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
