Lenoir-Rhyne Sweeps Softball

HICKORY, N.C. - The Mars Hill softball team was swept by No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday, falling 9-1 in the first game and 9-6 in the nightcap. Mars Hill is 22-18 overall and 6-10 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Game 1: Lenoir-Rhyne 9, Mars Hill 1 (5 Innings)

Three Lenoir-Rhyne batters had multi-hit games as the Bears defeated Mars Hill 9-1 in five innings.a

Lenoir-Rhyne scored two runs in the first inning on a Haily Jarman single and a Sarah Kenly sacrifice fly.

Mars Hill got on the board with a run in the third inning. Shelby Culler led off with a single, with pinch runner Megan Arrington advancing to second on a Shaundee Woosley base hit and a Lenoir-Rhyne error loading the bases. Lenoir-Rhyne starter Maryann Hoskins got a strikeout, followed by a Jamie Hockaday sacrifice fly that plated Arrington before Woosley was thrown out trying to advance to second.

The Bears answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning on a Jarman sacrifice fly that plated Jody Mizelle. Lenoir-Rhyne scored their fourth run of the game in the fourth inning on Ciera Cockerham sacrifice fly. Three of Lenoir-Rhyne's nine runs scored on sacrifice flies.

Lenoir-Rhyne scored five runs in the fifth inning to end the contest.

Woosley went two-for-three with a single and double. Culler went two-for-two with two singles. Jamie Booze went one-for-two with a single.

Hoskins earned the win, allowing an unearned run on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts in five innings. Culler takes the loss, allowing seven runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Game 2: Lenoir-Rhyne 9, Mars Hill 6

A six-run fourth inning was too much for Mars Hill to overcome as a seventh inning rally fell short in a 9-6 loss.

Mars Hill got on the board in the first inning after Cori Dew reached on a one-out walk and scored on a Brittany Gibson single. Mars Hill added another run in the second inning with a Robyn Stanek double that scored Shaundee Woosley.

Lenoir-Rhyne tied the game with two singles in the fourth inning before Jody Mizelle busted the game open with a grand slam, giving the Bears a 6-2 lead. The Bears added two runs in the fifth inning thanks to a Sarah Kelley double.

The Lions pushed a run across in the sixth inning after a pair of one-out singles by Lauren Saller and Woosley, with a Cori Dew groundout moving the runners into scoring position. Shelby Culler singled to score Saller, with Woosley thrown out at home to end the inning.

Mars Hill didn't go quietly in the seventh, as Jamie Hockaday led off with a single and scored on Aleshia Peek's fifth home run of the season with one out. After a strikeout, Erin Vickery hit her sixth home run of the season to pull the Lions to within three.  A walk and a hit batter brought the tying run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the game.

Peek went two-for-four with a single, home run and two RBIs. Hockaday went two-for-two with two singles. Vickery went one-for-three with a home run and RBI. Stanek went one-for-three with a double and RBI. Woosley and Dew each went one-for-three with a single and run scored. Saller went one-for-three with a single and run scored. Culler had a single and RBI in her only plate appearance.

Brandi Hole earned the win for Lenoir-Rhyne, allowing six runs on 11 hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Jamie Booze took the loss for Mars Hill, allowing six runs on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Mars Hill returns to Ponder Field on Tuesday, hosting Lincoln Memorial in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.