HICKORY, N.C. - For the 13th time in program history and the first time since 2018 the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team is the South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Champion. They clinched the title with 7-1 and 6-5 (8 inns.) wins over #21 Carson-Newman on Friday.
Madison Primm was 4-for-9 on the day with a home run while
Alexandria Gray hit a home run in both games to help secure the Bears' championship.
Madison Wilson picked up the win in both games to bring her season record to 18-4.
Head coach
Shena Hollar hit another milestone today, becoming just the 12th coach in NCAA Division II history to reach the 1,100 win mark for her career.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game One Final: #19 Lenoir-Rhyne 7, #21 Carson-Newman 1
Game Two Final: #19 Lenoir-Rhyne 6, #21 Carson-Newman 5 (8 Innings)
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (37-11, 19-3 SAC), Carson-Newman (37-10, 16-6 SAC)
Location: Jefferson City, Tenn. | The Vick
STORY OF GAME ONE:
- Lenoir-Rhyne scored all their runs in the first and second innings.
- Avery Kiger and Kaylan Brown both his RBI doubles in the first inning.
- All four second inning runs were scored thanks to home runs from Madison Primm and Alexandria Gray.
- Madison Wilson shut down the Eagles and didn't allow a hit after the fourth inning.
- Wilson struck out nine and allowed just one run in the game.
- All seven hits came from different Bears.
STORY OF GAME TWO:
- Lenoir-Rhyne quickly went up 4-0 thanks to two runs in both the second and third innings.
- Autumn Joyce and Madison Primm hit RBI doubles in the second.
- Alexandria Gray hit a two run shot in the third.
- Carson-Newman clawed back, scoring three in the fourth and one in the sixth.
- With two outs and two on in the top of the eighth, Joyce hit a 2 RBI double to put the Bears up by two.
- The Eagles plated one without any outs in the bottom of eighth but Madison Wilson picked up an infield fly, strikeout, and groundout to get the win.
- Autumn Joyce was 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs and a run scored.
- Faith Carrigan got the start and threw 5.2 innings.
- Wilson struck out three in 2.1 innings of work.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Head coach Shena Hollar has now won a regular season SAC title in three separate decades.
- The 19 SAC wins is tied for Lenoir-Rhyne's second most all-time.
- Lenoir-Rhyne softball now has 23 combined SAC regular season and tournament titles.
UP NEXT: Lenoir-Rhyne will be the #1 seed in the SAC tournament and are set to host the #8 seed in the opening round on Friday and Saturday, May 1st and 2nd. That #8 seed will be either Catawba, Wingate, Newberry, or Emory & Henry depending on how games go this weekend.