Kodak, Tenn.----The Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears scored 11 runs on 11 hits on Sunday afternoon, knocking off top-ranked Wingate University in the South Atlantic Conference tournament in a battle of the only two unbeaten teams through the first three days of tourney action at Smokies Stadium. The Bears advance to championship Monday and improve to 43-10 on the year, while the Bulldogs drop to 44-7 overall.
KEY STATS
- Lenoir-Rhyne out-hit Wingate 11-3
- The Bears had two of the three extra-base hits in the game, both home runs
- LR left six runners on the bases; the Bulldogs stranded seven
- The Bears committed each of the four errors in the contest
- Each team stole a base
- Lenoir-Rhyne's pitchers struck out six and walked three; WU's staff struck out six and walked seven
KEY BULLDOGS
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Logan McNeely went one-for-four with an RBI double in the eighth inning
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Andrew Motsinger and
Ricky Clark also recorded hits on the day
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Isaiah Williams-Rhem stole his 16th base of the season
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Michael Dansky walked and later scored a run
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Brent Walls struck out two in 2.2 shutout innings in relief
FIRST INNING
- Luis Atiles singled down the left field line to score two in the Bears' home half of the first, giving LR an early lead
SECOND INNING
- Clark and
Brett Adams reached base safely to lead off the second
- Clark scored on a throwing error on a fielder's choice to cut the deficit in half
- Anthony Porrino answered with a leadoff homer in the bottom half
- With runners on the corners with one out, David Bell drove in LR's fourth run of the afternoon on a sac fly to center field
FOURTH INNING
- Erick Ramirez's three-run home run extended the Bears' lead to 7-1 in the fourth
SIXTH INNING
- The Bears loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning
- Drew Yniesta scored on a wild pitch to pad the LR advantage
- Atiles drove in two more on a single to left center
- Porrino followed up with an RBI single for the Bears' fourth run of the inning
EIGHTH INNING
- Dansky walked to lead off the eighth
- McNeely doubled to left center to score the runner from first
WRAPUP
- Austin Edwards got the win for Lenoir-Rhyne
- He tossed seven innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and struck out five
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Josh Dotson took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 3.1 innings of work
- Walls allowed just two hits in his 2.2 innings of duty to end the game, striking out two
UP NEXT
- The Bulldogs will play in an elimination game against the winner of Catawba-Newberry tonight at approximately 8:30 p.m.
- The winner of that game will have to go 2-0 against Lenoir-Rhyne tomorrow to claim the SAC Tournament crown
