April 23, 2008

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—Sophomore starter Justin Crowell (New London, N.C.) allowed just one run over nine innings as Lenoir-Rhyne College defeated host St. Andrews Presbyterian College, 2-1, in a non-conference baseball game on Wednesday afternoon at Clark Field.

Junior third baseman Daniel Ford (Youngstown, Ohio) led the Bears (22-31 overall) offensively with a 3-for-4 performance including a double. Classmate Jake Hartley (Blufton, S.C.) had the only RBI for the visitors.

Junior designated hitter Kyle Norris (Laurel Hill, N.C.) matched Ford by batting 3-for-4 with a double for the Knights (14-37).

St. Andrews jumped out to a 1-0 lead with four hits in the first inning. Sophomore Charles Weber (Concord, N.C.) drove in Norris, who had a double down the left-field line, with a single up the middle.

After escaping the first allowing just one run, Crowell settled down for eight consecutive scoreless frames to give Lenoir-Rhyne time to make a late rally. Crowell (3-6) tossed his first complete game in 12 starts this season allowing just one earned run on 10 hits while posting two strikeouts.

Knights’ senior starter B.J. Horne (Hamlet, N.C.) kept the Bears scoreless for the first six innings but was tagged for the loss when Lenoir-Rhyne was able to score one run in both the seventh and eighth innings. Hartley tied the contest with a sacrifice fly while sophomore Hank Wofford (Clover, S.C.) crossed home plate for the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

SAPC held a 10-8 hit edge but Crowell used a sneaky pick-off move to eliminate three Knights runners.

Fisher and Weber both had two hits for the Knights while Horne (3-6) had a game-high four strikeouts.

St. Andrews wraps up its season on Thursday when they host non-conference Wingate University at 3:00 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne next competes in the Tusculum College Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Greeneville, Tenn.