FLORENCE, S.C. -- The No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne Softball Team earned a doubleheader split at Francis Marion on Wednesday afternoon. The Bears won in extra innings in the finale in a doubleheader that was moved up 90 minutes to beat incoming rain to the area. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game One Final: Francis Marion 3, No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne 1
Game Two Final:  No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, Francis Marion 4 (8 innings)
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (15-5), Francis Marion (14-5)
Game Location: Florence, S.C. I FMU Softball Stadium

STATS AND INFO:

• Shena Hollar moves 14 wins shy of 1,000 for her career.
• These were the 34th and 35th all-time meetings between LR and Francis Marion.
• LR holds the edge 22-13 in the all-time series.
• Two of the last five meetings have gone to extra innings, including the 2022 battle that LR won in 13 innings. 

• A pair of home runs were all the offense from each side in the first game. Francis Marion struck the biggest blow, a 3-run shot in the first inning. 
• After the Bears went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, FMU drew a four pitch walk to start their half of the inning. 
• A single down the left field line put two on for Taylor Watford who drove a 3-1 pitch out and put the Patriots up early.
• A Lani Warren solo shot in the top of the seventh was the only offense of the game for the Bears. 
• LR had just four hits with Cassidy Wall having a triple. 
• Alyssa Poston improved to 8-1 in the circle for FMU with seven innings of work with six strikeouts and one walk.
• Lauren Rakes suffered the loss but allowed just three hits. She struck out two to fall to 4-3.

• Francis Marion once again ran out to a 3-0 lead in the night cap. The Patriots scored on a wild pitch in the first and an error in the second. In the fifth, an RBI single made it 3-0.
• The LR bats awoke in the sixth inning. Lauren Jackson drove in Wall with an RBI single and Faith Carrigan laced a single to right to make it 3-2. 
• Down 3-2 in the seventh, Rakes led off the winning with a solo homer to even the contest. 
• After the bomb, the Bears were hit by pitch three straight times to load the bases with no outs but FMU was able to wiggle out of the jam. 
• The game would go to extras and Katelyn Rackard played the role of hero. With two outs and two on, Rackkard crushed a 2-0 pitch for a 3-run bomb.
• Francis Marion got one in the bottom of the inning but didn't pull any closer.
• Carrigan went all eight innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out eight and allowing four hits. 

• Carrigan improved to 2-1 on the year and went 2-for-4 in the batters box in game 2.
• Madison Wilson saw her streak of nine straight at bats with a hit come to an end in her first at bat today. 
• The bomb was Rackard's first of the year and 15th of her career. 

UP NEXT:  The Bears return to action this weekend with home doubleheaders against Frostburg St. (Saturday) and West Liberty (Sunday).