WINGATE, NC - The Lenoir-Rhyne softball team pulled off a pair of nail-biting 9-8 and 3-2 victories at Wingate on Friday afternoon. Lenoir-Rhyne is now 12-0 to open conference play, their best start in program history.
Leading 9-2 heading into the seventh, Lenoir-Rhyne held on for the 9-8 victory in game one as
Madison Primm,
Lani Warren, and
Kaylan Brown combined for three home runs and seven RBI's.
Faith Carrigan pitched a complete game and hit a solo home run of her own to lead the Bears to a 3-2 victory in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game One Final: #19 Lenoir-Rhyne 9, Wingate 8
Game Two Final: #19 Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Wingate 2
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (28-8, 12-0 SAC), Wingate (21-15, 6-8 SAC)
Location: Wingate, NC | WU Softball Complex
STORY OF GAME ONE:
- Wingate scored a run in the first and third innings before the Bears grabbed the lead off a three-run blast by Kaylan Brown in the 4th.
- Madison Primm and Lani Warren hit back-to-back home runs in the 6th as the Bear offense exploded for six runs to take a 9-2 lead.
- Wingate scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh before Faith Carrigan forced a groundout to grab the win.
- Madison Wilson collected her 14th victory of the season in the circle, pitching 6.0 Innings with eight strikeouts.
- Carrigan picked up the save.
- The Bulldogs were held to just one extra-base hit and left nine runners on-base.
- Avery Kiger (3), Madison Wilson (3), and Madison Primm (2) al had multi-hit games.
STORY OF GAME TWO:
- Autumn Joyce opened up the scoring with a solo-blast in the first.
- Faith Carrigan hit her fourth home run of the season with a drive down the right field line to extend the Bears lead 2-0 in the 2nd Inning.
- The Bears scored a run in their third straight inning off an Alexandria Gray sacrifice-fly to score Kennedy Lange.
- Damiya McFadden's two-run single put the Bulldogs on the board, making it 3-2 Bears after three innings.
- Faith Carrigan prevented a two-out rally in the 6th Inning with runners on the corners by producing a ground ball Lange for the final out.
- Kaylee Hobgood popped out to short for the final out in the 7th as Lenoir-Rhyne came away with a 3-2 win to complete the sweep.
- There were a combined nine hits and 11 runners left on base between the two teams.
- Faith Carrigan picked up her 12th win in the circle, allowing just five hits and one earned-run.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Lenoir-Rhyne now leads the all-time series 42-41 and have won the five straight games against the Bulldogs.
- The last 11 games have been decided by five or less runs.
- Lani Warren extended her hitting streak to six games, generating four home runs and eight RBI's during this stretch.
- Autumn Joyce has now hit four home runs in the first Inning this season.
- This is the sixth time in her career that Faith Carrigan has pitched a win on the circle while also hitting a home run in the same game.
UP NEXT: The Bears head back to Hickory for a heavyweight matchup against the Anderson Trojans on Tuesday afternoon. The Trojans come in with a 27-7 overall record and are 10-2 in conference play this season. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
