Lenoir-Rhyne eliminates Softball from SAC Tournament

Hickory, N.C. —- The Catawba College softball team was eliminated from the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship on Saturday afternoon, falling to 18th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne 11-5. The Bears stave off elimination themselves, improving to 36-11 on the year, while Catawba drops to 27-18 overall.

Bri Gallagher turned in another big day, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Kary Hales and Riley Tucker also recorded homers on the day for Catawba. Talon Laclair was one of four Bears to homer, recording three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

Hales' solo homer in the top of the first gave Catawba an early lead, but Lenoir-Rhyne took it back in the bottom half, scoring three in the bottom half. 

Gallagher's three-run homer gave the Catawba a 4-3 lead in the top of the third inning, but LR's Lora Beth Wood responded with an RBI single in the bottom half to tie the game at 4. The Bears put up five runs in the fifth and another two in the sixth to open up an 11-4 lead.

Tucker recorded her third homer in the last two days with a solo shot in the seventh, but LR closed the door to stay alive in the tournament.

Morgan Beeler got the win, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and five walks, striking out nine in the complete-game effort. Alex Baquie got the loss, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in 2.1 innings of work.

Catawba awaits its NCAA Tournament fate with the NCAA Division II Softball selection show on Monday, May 8 at 10 a.m.