Blue Hose
Complete First Conference Series with 10-6
Win over Bears
Hickory, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne College Baseball team lost 6-10 to the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College on Sunday afternoon to drop their first conference series of the 2002 season.
The Bears fell to 17-7, 1-2 in South Atlantic Conference play, while the Blue Hose improved to 10-14, 2-1. On deck for the Bears is a showdown with S.C.-Spartanburg at Bears Field on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Presbyterian's next game is at North Georgia on Tuesday starting at 3 p.m.
Freshman Zachary Matthews came in to relieve the Blue Hose starting pitcher, junior Kurt Hitzeman, and gave up two earned runs on two hits in five solid innings. Matthews would eventually gain the win to improve to 1-1 on the season.
Presbyterian lead-off man senior Chris Turco, who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, got things started early for the Blue Hose with a single and a stolen base to begin the game. After getting the next two batters out, the Bears starter, sophomore Brett Yates intentionally walked sophomore Kevin White. White advanced to second on a passed ball, and then sophomore Heath McCutcheon singled to right center to drive home Turco and White.
After senior Jarred Caputo reached on a walk, senior Craig Sizemore doubled to deep center to score Caputo in the home-half of the first. Sizemore was stranded at second and after one the Blue Hose led 2-1.
In the second inning, the Blue Hose pushed two more runs across the plate with two hits and one Bear error. In the bottom of the inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Sizemore hit a ball through the first baseman's legs that was mishandled by the right fielder. This cleared the bases for the Bears and evened the game at 4-4 through two.
After the second, Yates settled down to pitch four scoreless innings. The
Bears moved ahead in the third inning when freshman J.R. Hopf doubled and then senior Israel Campbell singled to left center to drive home Hopf. The Bears tacked on another run in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead going into the seventh.The Blue Hose bats were relit in the top of the seventh. White walked to lead off the inning, and then coach Frank Pait went to the bullpen for junior lefty Matt Howell. Howell forced McCutcheon to fly out before giving way to the Bears third pitcher of the inning, sophomore Drew Lindley. Junior Tombo Hite hit a Lindley offering deep in the hole to advance White to second. Lindley walked the next batter to load the bases. Freshman Jake Lunnen hit a clutch double to left center that drove home Hite and White. Freshman Justin McLeymore relieved Lindley. McLeymore gave up two hits and allowed three more runs before being replaced by the fifth Bear pitcher of the inning, freshman Bobby Kennett. Kennett forced junior Matt Warren to ground out to end the top-half of the inning, but the Blue Hose were now leading 9-6 going into the bottom of the seventh.
The Bears threatened in the bottom of the seventh but were shut down by reliever freshman Matt Boone. Boone and sophomore Travis Hill allowed only one hit in two and one-third innings to finish off the Bears and seal the 10-6 victory for the Blue Hose.
Lindley was charged with the loss and moves to 3-1 on the season. Campbell batted 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Caputo hit 1-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored. Junior catcher Ryan Mumy went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Sizemore finished 1-for-5 with an RBI. Senior Paul Pope and Hopf completed the scoring for the Bears with one run each.
For the Blue Hose, senior Keagan Broussard batted 2-for-6 with an RBI, while White finished 1-for-2 with two runs. McCutheon had two RBIs on his one hit, and junior Kenny Campbell scored two runs on three walks. Freshman Kip McAlister went 1-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Lunnen finished 1-for-4 with one run scored and two RBIs. Hill picked up his first save of the season.