Rakes’ Gem Highlights Bears Split with Anderson
Hickory, N.C.-- Lauren Rakes threw her 18th career shutout as Rakes allowed just five hits in a 3-0 win in the first game of the doubleheader. In the night cap, Rakes came in relief and picked up career strikeout number 750 but the Bears fell 7-6. Julia Mardigian added four more hits on the day including a homerun while Lani Warren, Madison Primm and Lora Beth Wood added went deep.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Game One Final: No. 18 Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Anderson 0
Game Two Final: Anderson 7, No.18 Lenoir-Rhyne 6
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (34-10, 11-5 SAC) . Anderson (23-13, 12-2 SAC)
Game Location: N.C. I Bears Field
Hickory,
STATS AND INFO:
Game one was the first time the Bears defeated Anderson at home since 2018.
Mardigian came into the day tied for the most doubles in all of DII.
Mardigian is now two doubles away from most in a single season after her 22nd double of the season.
Rakes is the third pitcher to reach 750 strikeouts in program history.
GAME ONE INFO:
Warren got the Bears on the board with a two-out solo homerun in the bottom of the 1st.
Second two-out RBI occurred in the 4th when Primm singled in Cassidy Wall.
Mardigian then added her 7th homerun of the season to close the scoring in the 5th.
Rakes had her third 10+ strikeout performance of the season as Rakes struck out 11 and allowed just five singles.
Bears only had four hits, singles by Wall and Primm and the home runs by Mardigian and Warren.
GAME TWO INFO:
A wild game two saw the Anderson scored the first three runs before the LR scored the next five runs before Anderson battled back and scored three more runs before the Bears second comeback comes up short after a Wood homerun in the bottom of the 7th.
Mardigian had her 21st multi-hit game with a three hit game. Mardigian added her NCAA leading 22nd twobagger. Wood and Wall each had two RBIs as Primm had two hits.
Bears had the game tying run on the first with one out but Rakes lined out and Brown grounded out to end the day.
Madison Wilson started the game going four innings while allowing three runs in the no decision. Faith Carrigan came in relief and took the loss allowing three runs in an inning of work. Rakes threw two innings in relief allowing one run and three more strikeouts.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
Bears hit four more runs and now have 63 on the season, which is tied for 4th most in a single season.
This was the first time the Bears split a SAC doubleheader this year.
It was also the first SAC home loss of the season as LR is now 23-3 at home.
This was Anderson’s first time being shutout all season in game one.
Mardigian hit .833 on the week including three threehit games.
UP NEXT: Bears will travel to Emory & Henry for a doubleheader on Tuesday.