NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team could not build off its momentum from Friday, as the Bears were defeated in the final two games of the series to Newberry. 

In the first game of the doubleheader, the LR offense came out strong by scoring nine runs in the first three innings of the game. However, the Wolves stuck around and chipped away at the deficit. 

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Newberry completed the comeback as LR committed two wild pitches and hit a batter to prevail in the 12-11 result. 

In the rubber match of the series, LR again had a good start by scoring in each of the first three innings, but the two sides were tied heading into the fourth. 

In both the fifth and sixth innings, Newberry was able to tally a couple of two-run frames to generate some breathing room and take the finale by a 7-4 outcome. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP 
Final Game One: Newberry 12, Lenoir-Rhyne 11
Final Game Two: Newberry 7, Lenoir-Rhyne 4
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (23-17, 10-11), Newberry (19-19, 13-8)
Location: Newberry, S.C. | Smith Road Complex

STATS OF GAME ONE:

• Cole Laskowski led the team with three hits in the contest. It is the fifth time this season that the redshirt junior has recorded a game with at least three hits.
• Sal Carricato led the team with four RBIs. This is the second time this season that the redshirt junior has notched four or more RBIs in a single game.
• Speaking of Laskowski and Carricato, the two of them including Cole Stanford crushed a home run in the contest.
• Blake Bean and Carricato were both able to extend their hit streaks into double figures. Carricato reached a 11-game hit streak while Bean's streak has reached 10 games.
• This was not the cleanest game by either side as there were eight total errors. Newberry committed five errors while LR committed three.
• Randan Rigdan, who got the start for the Bears, gave up nine hits and three earned runs in his 3.2 innings pitched.
• Kyle Murphy was handed the loss for the Bears after dealing two wild pitches. The junior did not record an out in his appearance.

STATS OF GAME TWO:

• Despite the loss, LR out-hit Newberry, 10-5.
• Bryce Stober led the team with two RBIs. The senior drove in a run after being hit by a pitch in the third inning and grounding out into a fielder's choice in the seventh.
• Kellen Gradisar, who got the start for the Bears, was handed his first loss of the season. The freshman tossed 4.1 innings pitched and gave up four hits and four earned runs.
• Khi Holiday, Zach Evans and Tyler McPeak each recorded two hits for the Bears. Those three each had a share for the most hits on the team.
• One of Evans' hits was a first-inning triple. It is the second time this season that Evans has recorded a three-bagger. Only Holiday has produced multiple triples this season.
• The Bears had too many opportunities slip through their fingertips. LR left 12 runners stranded on the base paths while Newberry only stranded one.
• LR needed all five pitchers to get through the final two innings of the game. After Gradisar started the fifth, Caleb Cockerham, Brynden Rodriguez, Cole Bramhall, and Andy Cook pitched for the Bears in relief.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With the doubleheader sweep, Newberry leads the all-time series, 64-56-1.
• For games in Newberry, S.C., LR has a 13-23 record against Newberry.
• In five of the past six conference series, LR has tallied a single win and two losses across the three games.
• The Bears are still searching for their first road conference series victory of the season.
• With the 11 conference losses, it is the first time since 2021 that the Bears have suffered double-digit league losses.

UP NEXT: The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team will stay on the road in conference play with a three-game series against the Wingate Bulldogs. The weekend set is scheduled to begin on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. from Wingate, N.C.