SW Virginia News

No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Opens Weekend Series With 16-5 Win Over Emory & Henry Friday

The No. 14 nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University Baseball Team (18-5, 4-0 SAC) defeated Emory & Henry College (7-14, 2-5 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference action on Friday afternoon. The Bears utilized an eight-run sixth inning to propel them to the 16-5 victory. 

The BasicsFINAL SCORE – No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne 16, Emory & Henry 5LOCATION – Emory, VirginiaVENUE – Porterfield-DeVault FieldRECORDS – Emory & Henry (7-14, 2-5 SAC); Lenoir-Rhyne (18-5, 4-0 SAC) 

How It HappenedThe Bears got off to a hot start, as Blake Bean launched the first pitch of the game over the left field fence to jump the visitors out front 1-0. E&H would respond in the home half of the first as junior left fielder Wayne Mize (Salisbury, N.C.) spun on a pitch and drove it over the wall in left to tie things up at 1-1 after one inning.

LR struck again in the top of the second with three runs on four hits, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Bryce Stober, to make it 4-1. Both teams were held off of the scoreboard until the fifth when the Bears posted four runs in the visiting half of the inning, including a two-run homer from Cole Stanford, as they ran the lead to 8-1. Once again the Wasps responded in the bottom of the fifth as junior third baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) crushed a ball over the fence in centerfield for the first long ball of his career to trim the gap to 8-2.

The Bears blew things open in the top of the sixth as they sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on seven hits and ballooned their lead out to a commanding 16-2. E&H battled back in the bottom half of the inning as junior outfielder Matt Hill (Pineville, N.C.) drew a walk, moved up on a pair of wild pitches and scored on an RBI infield single from senior second baseman Noah Mazza (Plainfield, Ill.). Senior outfielder Tyler Bradley (Bessemer City, N.C.) left the yard two batters later to bring home Mazza and send the score to its eventual final at 16-5.

Joshua Lanham earned the winning decision on the mound for the Bears as he went five innings, scattering four hits and two runs while striking out seven batters and issuing five walks. Junior righty Jack Swarbrick (Haverhill, Mass.) took the loss for the Wasps, giving up ten runs and twelve hits while striking out two over five innings pitched. 

Up NextEmory & Henry wraps up the weekend series against No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for noon. 

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