Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team swept 18th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne at Whitley Field on Tuesday afternoon for the first doubleheader sweep over the Bears since 2015 in South Atlantic Conference softball action.
GAME ONE | Catawba 9, Lenoir-Rhyne 6
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Lenoir-Rhyne 10-9
- The Catawba Indians recorded four of seven extra-base hits
- Catawba committed all three errors of the contest
- Catawba's pitchers allowed six earned runs on nine hits and five walks, striking out two; the Bears' staff allowed nine earned runs on 10 hits and two walks, striking out six
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Riley Tucker was 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored and picked up the win in the circle
- Grace Flynn went 4-for-4 with three runs scored
- Kary Hales recorded two doubles with three RBI and a run scored while earning the save
- Molly Strider also homered
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Lenoir-Rhyne loaded the bases with no one out, but Catawba limited the Bears to one run
- Hales' RBI double scored Flynn to match the run scored
THIRD INNING
- The Bears once again loaded the bases with no one out in the third, but Catawba once again limited LR to one run, a Lauren Rakes sac fly
- Catawba got their first two batters aboard in the third
- Tucker's three-run homer had them leading 4-2
FOURTH INNING
- Strider hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth
- Tucker hit a two-out single through the right side to add a run
- Hales drove in two more with a double
- Bri Gallagher made it three straight two-out RBI base hits to lead 9-2
FIFTH INNING
- Madison Primm hit a two-run homer to trim the Catawba advantage
- The Bears scored on a wild pitch to get within 9-5
SEVENTH INNING
- Lauren Jackson added another homer for LR on a solo shot, but Hales closed it out from there for the save
GAME TWO | Catawba 3, Lenoir-Rhyne 2
TEAM STATISTICS
- Catawba out-hit Lenoir-Rhyne 6-4
- The Catawba Indians recorded two of three extra-base hits
- Both teams committed an error in the field
- Catawba had the lone stolen base of the game
- Catawba's Bri Herring pitched a complete game, allowing two earned runs on four hits and five walks, striking out two; LR's Madison Wilson allowed three runs in six innings on six hits and two walks, striking out three
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Savanna Balderston hit the go-ahead homer
- Christina Brendle went 2-for-3 with a run scored
- Herring scored and Flynn drove her home
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- Herring led off the bottom of the first with a triple
- Flynn's sac fly gave Catawba an early 1-0 lead
SECOND INNING
- Wilson helped her own cause for LR with an RBI double in the second to tie the game
THIRD INNING
- Katelyn Rackard walked and stole second to lead off the third
- A groundout moved her over and Lora Beth Wood's RBI sac bunt gave the Bears a 2-1 lead
FOURTH INNING
- Brendle recorded a two-out single in the fourth
- Balderston hit a two-run homer the opposite way for the go-ahead homer
- Herring finished the day with four scoreless frames to claim the series sweep
UP NEXT
- Catawba hits the road on Friday, heading to Emory & Henry for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
