ASHEBORO, NC - The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball team fell 10-3 to Catawba in Friday night's SAC Championship Series opener. The Indians out-hit the Bears 12-9 and gave senior Andrew Harlow (9-1) his first loss of the season.

The Bears have to win two games against Catawba tomorrow to host the SAC Tournament trophy.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: (2) Lenoir-Rhyne 3, (1) Catawba 10
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (43-11), Carson-Newman (41-12)
Location: Asheboro, NC | McCrary Park

STORY OF THE GAME

• Catawba struck first, hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to go up 2-0 after one.
• The Bears got one back on a Mackenzie Wainwright RBI in the third.
• The Indians answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning.
• Three run innings in the fifth and eighth by Catawba would put the game away.
• Eli Willen and Sal Carricato hit solo home runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

STATS OF THE GAME

• Eli Willen was the one of two Bears with at least two hits, going 2-for-4 with a home run.
• Cole Stanford also went 2-for-4.
• Owen Blackledge walked twice in this one.
• Andrew Harlow allowed six hits and six runs in 4.2 innings of work.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Sal Carricato now sits one home run away from the half-century mark with 49 in his career.
• The Bears are looking for their fourth SAC Tournament Championship in school history, last winning in 2022.
• Lenoir-Rhyne won the 2001 title after losing the first game of a best of three to Carson-Newman.

UP NEXT: The Bears will face Catawba tomorrow from McCrary Park at noon. Should LR win, they would for an if-necessary game three at 4:00 p.m.