HICKORY, N.C. – The Lenoir-Rhyne University Softball Team (30-9) picked up a pair of wins against Emory & Henry College (24-13) Thursday afternoon. The Bears outlasted the Wasps, 7-6, in game one in a 12-inning marathon that lasted more than three hours and completed the sweep with a 2-0 win in game two.
The 12-inning ordeal tied for the longest game in program history with the E&H's final contest in the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament against Transylvania University.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Lenoir-Rhyne 7, Emory & Henry 6 (12 innings)
GAME TWO – Lenoir-Rhyne 2, Emory & Henry 0
LOCATION – Hickory, North Carolina
VENUE – Bears Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (24-13); Lenoir-Rhyne (30-9)
Game One – Lenoir-Rhyne 7, Emory & Henry 6 (12 innings)
After three scoreless innings, Emory & Henry got on the board in the top of the fourth. Freshman centerfielder Mackenzie Williams (St. Augustine, Fla.) got an infield single and senior left fielder Anna Thomas (Climax, N.C.) drew a one-out walk. Freshman Lydia Taylor (Salem, Va.) then drilled a three-run home run over the left-field fence to give Wasps the lead.
In the bottom of the frame, Lenoir-Rhyne made it a 3-1 contest as Kendall Osborne hit a bases-loaded infield single. On the next at bat, Katelyn Rackard tied the game at three apiece with a hit to centerfield.
Another three scoreless frames forced extra innings. After the Wasps went down in order in the top of the eighth, the Bears loaded the bases with two outs. E&H's defense held strong however, to keep the score at 3-3.
In the top of the ninth, with two outs and runners on first and second, sophomore catcher Morgan Silvis (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) drove in a run with a base hit to right field to put the Wasps up, 4-3. The Bears answered in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Lauren Rakes to move the game into the 10th inning.
After a scoreless 10th, the Wasps went up, 5-4, in the 11th as Thomas drove in Williams with a base hit through the right side. LR tied the game again on a hit to right by Cassidy Wall and hat two aboard with no outs but E&H held strong again forcing a 12th frame.
In the 12th, Silvis hit a one-out double to the wall in right-center, to drive in Taylor for a 6-5 Emory & Henry advantage. Once again, the Bears responded, tying the game at six runs apiece on a base hit by Rackard. Lenoir-Rhyne loaded the bases with one out and won the game as Graleigh Hildebran drew a walk on a full count for the 7-6 win.
Rakes earned the victory in the circle, scattering three earned runs on six hits with 17 strikeouts across her complete-game performance. E&H sophomore Avery Adkins (Goodview, Va.) faced 57 batters, allowing four earned runs on 17 hits with nine strikeouts.
Game Two – Lenoir-Rhyne 2, Emory & Henry 0
The Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Julia Mardigian singled to left field to get things started and scored on a wild pitch from third.
The Bears stranded a pair in the second and three more in the fourth frame as the Wasps' defense held strong with the 2-0 score.
Emory & Henry got its offense started as runners were aboard in the fifth and sixth and set LR down in order in the bottom of both innings. In the seventh, the Wasps loaded the bases with two outs but were unable to push a run across.
Morgan Beeler allowed just two hits while she struck out 12 in the shutout victory for the Bears. E&H freshman MaKayla Dowdy (Blacksburg, Va.) suffered the loss, allowing just two runs on six hits in 3.1 innings. Freshman Olivia Yates (Floyd, Va.) struck out three in 2.2 no-hit innings of relief.
Up Next
Emory & Henry returns home on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. to host Queens University of Charlotte. The contest will serve as Senior Day for the Wasps.
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