March 16, 2008

LMU Defeats Lenoir-Rhyne Twice On Sunday To Take 2-1 Series Victory

Bears drop first two contests in South Atlantic Conference play

Harrogate, Tenn. – After losing the opening game of the series on Friday night 8-6, the Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters bounced back to win games two and three on Sunday afternoon 7-6 and 9-4 to take a two games to one series win over league-leading Lenoir-Rhyne College.

Game One – Lincoln Memorial 7, Lenoir-Rhyne 6
Although freshman Steven Starbird (Rutledge, Tenn.) got the start in Sunday afternoon’s first game, it was LMU junior Jason Davila (Plantation, Fla.) who picked up the win to improve to 2-0 on the year. Starbird pitched the first 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs and five earned runs with no walks and two strikeouts.

Davila pitched the next 2.1 innings of work and got some help from his teammates at the plate. Davila held the Bears to only three hits and gave up no damage with one walk and a strikeout before giving up the mound to teammate Ray Burchell (Corryton, Tenn.). Burchell shut the door on the Bears in the final inning allowing only one hit.

At the plate, LMU senior shortstop Derek Treece (Powell, Tenn,) continued to battle out of what was a mid-season slump. Treece was three-for-four at the plate with four RBI which included a double and his third homerun of the year.

Lenoir-Rhyne’s Justin Crowell (New London, N.C./North Stanly HS) (2-3) picked up the loss. Crowell pitched only two innings of work, allowing seven hits, seven runs and three earned runs with a walk and no strikeouts. Teammate Greg Conrad (Charlotte, N.C./OIympic HS) went the remaining four innings, allowing only four hits and no runs with three strikeouts.

Box Score

Game Two – Lincoln Memorial 9. Lenoir-Rhyne 4
Lenoir-Rhyne took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but LMU came roaring back in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 advantage and never looked back. The Railsplitters pounded out 11 hits over six and a half innings of play to come away with a 9-4 victory over the Bears.

This time it was senior TeWayne Willis (Hazard, Ky.) and junior Ralph Rosas (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) that carried LMU at the plate. Willis was a perfect three-for-three at the dish with a triple and two RBI, while Rosas was two-for-three at the plate with five runs batted in and his fourth homerun of the year.

Sunday’s second win went to Railsplitter junior hurler Casey Sedley (Miami, FL) (4-2). Sedley pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing six hits, three runs and two earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts. Junior Mitch Kramer (Amherstberg, Ontario, CANADA) sealed the deal for Lincoln Memorial while recording the save. Kramer pitched the final 2.2 innings of the game, allowing only two hits, one run and one earned run with one walk and one strikeout.

Lenoir-Rhyne pitcher Chris Henderson (Lincolnton, N.C./West Lincoln HS) suffered the loss and falls to 2-3 on the season. Henderson pitched four innings, giving up seven hits, six runs and six earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts before turning over the mound to teammate Josh Keller (Claremont, N.C./Methodist College). Over the final two innings of the game, Keller gave up four hits, three runs and two earned runs with two walks and a strikeout.

Box Score

Lenoir-Rhyne falls to 15-15 overall and 7-2 in South Atlantic Conference play with Sunday’s losses to the Railsplitters.

(Story courtesy of Lincoln Memorial’s sports information office)