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Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics

Baseball team hype
11
East Stroudsburg ESU 40-15
15
Winner Lenoir-Rhyne LR 49-13
East Stroudsburg ESU
40-15
11
Final
15
Lenoir-Rhyne LR
49-13
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
East Stroudsburg ESU 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 7 0 11 11 1
Lenoir-Rhyne LR 0 0 3 7 3 0 2 0 X 15 15 1

W: Harlow, Andrew (12-1) L: Jake Albert (4-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Jason Stuebe, Athletic Communications Assistant

Lenoir-Rhyne breaks DII home run record in victory over East Stroudsburg in Cary opener

Cary, N.C.-- A few more chapters were added to Lenoir-Rhyne's historic season as the Bears, making their first ever appearance in the DII Baseball Championship, won their opening round game 15-11 over East Stroudsburg. 

The Bears made history by breaking the NCAA DII home run record during a seven-run fourth inning. Owen Blackledge tied the record with a solo shot and then a few batters later Eli Willen broke the record with a two-run bomb. The Bears added a pair of home runs from Sal Carricato later as LR now has 134 home runs on the season. Notably Willen also hit LR's school record 83rd home run on April 5th against Mars Hill.

In total, LR had 15 hits as six different Bears had multiple hits in this one. The trio of Mackenzie Wainwright, Blackledge and Carricato combined for seven hits and 10 RBI's. The Bears will now move on to play the winner of Central Missouri and Northwood on Sunday night at 6:00 PM.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: (3) Lenoir-Rhyne 15, (6) East Stroudsburg 11
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (49-13), East Stroudsburg (40-15)
Location: Cary, N.C. | USA Baseball Nationonal Training Complex

STORY OF THE GAME:
  • East Stroudsburg used a pair of home runs to jump out to an early 3-0 lead.
  • Lenoir-Rhyne came back with 13 unanswered runs of their own over the next two innings.
  • In the bottom of the third, a key throwing error from the Warriors help the Bears tie the game at three. Owen Blackledge had a RBI single to help tie the game in the inning. 
  • LR not only broke the game wide open with a seven-run 4th inning, they also tied and broke the NCAA DII single-season home run record. Blackledge tied the record with a solo home run then Eli Willen broke the record with a two-run home run later in the inning.  
  • The Bears extended the lead to double digits after a RBI double from Cole Laskowski and a two-run bomb from Sal Carricato. 
  • Carricato's second home run of the day in thes seventh gave LR a 15-4 lead in the 7th. 
  • With only six outs left to go, The Warriors tried to complete an epic comeback with a seven-run inning of their own to cut the lead to 15-11 but Gavin Marley came in and stopped the threat, throwing a scoreless ninth inning to give the Bears their first ever DII Championship Series victory. 
STATS OF THE GAME:
  • Mackenzie Wainwright had three hits, three RBI's, and scored three runs on the day, including a bases clearing double in the 4th. 
  • Sal Carricato went 2-for-5 with the two home runs and four RBI's. 
  • Owen Blackledge, Cole Laskowski, Eli Willen, and Nathaneal Keeter also had a pair of hits.
  • Seven of the Bears fifteen hits went for extra bases.
  • Andrew Harlow continued his strong postseason with six innings of work allowing three runs and striking out six to pick him his 12th win of the season. 
  • Randon Ridgon and Marley threw up zero's out of the pen. 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
  • The game was moved up 90 minutes to avoid possible weather that was coming in the area later in the afternoon.
  • The Bears have 134 home runs this season and will end the season at the top of the DII record book. 
  • Willen, who hit the record breaking home run today, also hit the home run that broke the LR single season home run total back on April 5th. 
  • This was the 11th game of the season, the Bears had at least 15 hits in a game.
  • Andrew Harlow now has 125 strikeouts on the season, the most by any DII pitcher this year.
  • Lenoir-Rhyne now owns two DII records as they set the team single-season strikeout record with 647 in 2022.
UP NEXT:  Lenoir-Rhyne will have tomorrow off before returning Sunday night to face the winner of Central Missouri and Northwood. That game between the Mules and Timberwolves was delayed until 8:00 p.m. tonight to allow the rain to pass through Cary prior to first pitch. East Stroudsburg will play the loser of tonight's game Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
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