Box Scores - L 8-1 / L 7-3
HICKORY, N.C. - Lenoir-Rhyne improved to 11-1 with a pair of wins over visiting East Stroudsburg University in the Warriors' first action of the 2009 softball season on Wednesday afternoon in North Carolina.
ESU's season-opening tournament at Catawba (N.C.) was washed out due to heavy rain last weekend, as was Tuesday's doubleheader at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Warriors reshuffled their schedule, playing at Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday, and will be back on the field on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.
The Warriors hit home runs in both games, with sophomore OF Jamie Mingis providing the offense in the first game and junior OF Kara Darcey going deep in game two.
Lenoir-Rhyne led 1-0 in the opener when Mingis connected for her second career home run in the fourth inning to tie the game. The Warriors held the Bears in the bottom of the inning and Mingis walked, stole second and moved up to third in the fifth but were unable to take the lead.
The Bears capitalized on an ESU error to start the bottom of the fifth and scored four runs in the inning, then added three more unearned runs in the sixth to stretch the lead to 8-1. Pitcher Noel Belk went the distance for Lenoir-Rhyne, allowing two hits and striking out 10, and was also 3-for-4 at the plate. Mingis had both of the Warriors' hits, with her homer in the fourth and a double in the first.
Junior Jackie Battaglino was charged with five runs (three earned) in four innings, and freshman Jade Geddrie threw the final two innings and gave up three unearned runs.
In the second game, ESU took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when freshman 3B Rachel Gieringer singled to score Mingis and sophomore SS Brittany Racek.
Brittany Cherry tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third with the first of her two home runs. Lenoir-Rhyne went ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth before Darcey drilled her fourth career home run to force a 3-3 tie when she pinch hit to lead off the top of the sixth.
Lenoir-Rhyne scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away in the late innings for the second straight game. Cherry hit a two-run shot for her second of the game and Belk added an RBI single.
Senior Jennifer Bensinger recorded her fourth career complete game in the circle for ESU, while Dawon Millwood threw the final four innings and was credited with the win as Lenoir-Rhyne held the Warriors to five hits for the afternoon.
