HICKORY, N.C. – Julie Gast finished with two hits and two RBI's in game two, while four different Bobcats collected their first hits as Bobcats, as the Lees-McRae softball team fell short in a 3-1 loss in game one, before losing a heartbreaking 4-3 extra-innings game against host Lenoir-Rhyne, who was picked third in the South Atlantic Conference Coaches' Poll, in the non-conference doubleheader this afternoon.
GAME #1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lenoir-Rhyne – 3, Lees-McRae – 1
LOCATION: Bears Field – Hickory, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lenior-Rhyne (1-0), Lees-McRae (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Rylie Webster and Megan Powell both collected their first collegiate hits, with Webster also notched her first RBI of the early season.
- Hannah Foster went 1 for 3 from the plate, while Jasmine Fong scored the lone run for the Bobcats.
- After three scoreless half innings, Lenoir-Rhyne opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with an RBI single.
- The Bears extended their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homerun.
- Lees-McRae trimmed the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the seventh inning as Fong entered the game as a pinch runner for Powell, who singled to left field with two outs, and scored on a double by Webster.
- Lenoir-Rhyne closed out the non-conference win by collecting the final out on the next batter.
- Powell was credited with the loss in the circle for the Bobcats, surrendering three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts. Raygan Rensing also finished with a strikeout and no hits allowed in one inning of relief.
FOR THE FOES:
- Five Bears recorded hits in game one, led by Cassidy Wall who went 2 for 3 from the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Lauren Rakes gave up only one run on three hits to earn the win.
GAME #2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Lenoir-Rhyne – 4; Lees-McRae – 3 (9 inn.)
LOCATION: Bears Field – Hickory, North Carolina
RECORDS: Lenior-Rhyne (2-0), Lees-McRae (0-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Gast went 2 for 4 from the plate with a double and two RBIs to pace the Bobcats in the later game.
- Emma Jackson and Aliyah Compton both collected their first collegiate hits, with Jackson's hit coming on an RBI double and Compton adding a run scored.
- Lauren Ritchie went 1 for 3 from the dish with a run scored, while Powell went 1 for 3 from the plate.
- After a scoreless first inning, Lees-McRae opened the scoring in the top of the second inning as Ritchie led-off with an infield single and later scored on the double by Jackson to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
- Jada Wilson held the Bears to only four hits in the first six innings until a double and two singles evened the score at 1-1 and send the game into extra innings.
- Lees-McRae extended the lead to 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning as Gast doubled to right center with one out that scored both Compton and Meredith Summey.
- Lenoir-Rhyne responded with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to even the score back to 3-3.
- The Bears scored one run on two hits in the bottom of the ninth the clinch the non-conference sweep.
- Wilson gave up only two earned runs on nine hits in 7.1 innings of work, with seven strikeouts, while Rensing gave up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning of relief.
FOR THE FOES:
- Katelyn Rackard tallied three hits, including the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, to pace the Bears in the second game.
- Morgan Beeler gave up two earned runs on six hits to earn the win for Lenoir-Rhyne
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will travel to Jefferson City, Tennessee for a non-conference doubleheader against Carson-Newman on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 12 p.m.
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