Hickory, N.C. —- The 23rd-ranked Catawba College baseball team took an early lead on the road over 16th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne, but a four-run fifth inning help push the Bears to a lead they wouldn't give up in the non-conference midweek bout of regional contenders at Durham Field on Tuesday night.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Lenoir-Rhyne out-hit Catawba 11-10

- The Bears recorded four of five extra-base hits

- Both teams committed an error on the night

- LR left 12 runners on base; Catawba stranded 14

- The Catawba Indians recorded all five stolen bases in the game

- Lenoir-Rhyne's pitchers allowed three earned runs on 10 hits and seven walks, striking out 14; Catawba's staff allowed seven runs on 11 hits and five walks, striking out five

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Braeden Major allowed a run on two hits in four innings of work

- Joe Burleyson and Hayden Simmerson did not allow runs in relief

- Parker Styborski singled, walked and scored three times

- Nathan Chrismon recorded a pair of hits and scored twice

- Hunter Atkins doubled; Sam Hunter had two hits and three stolen bases

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST INNING

- Atkins' ground-rule double on a ball lost in the sun scored the first run of the game for Catawba in the top of the first

SECOND INNING

- A walk loaded the bases with one out in the second

- James Dunlap's RBI single through the left side pushed the Catwaba lead to 2-0

- LR was able to strike out the final two batters of the inning

THIRD INNING

- A two-out single and a walk allowed Chrismon's single that dropped down the right field line to score another runner, pushing the lead to 3-0

- LR's Mackenzie Wainwright got the Bears on the board in the third with a solo leadoff homer

FIFTH INNING

- Cole Stanford's one-out double scored two for the Bears to tie the game at 3

- LR followed up with an RBI sac fly and a two-out RBI single to take a 5-3 lead on a four-spot in the frame

SIXTH INNING

- A leadoff double for LR in the sixth allowed a runner to score on a single before LR's seventh unanswered run scored on a sac fly

SEVENTH INNING

- Chrismon's RBI groundout got Catawba back within three, but couldn't muster any offense from there

UP NEXT

- Catawba looks to bounce back this weekend, once again hitting the road for a crucial three-game South Atlantic Conference series at Wingate