The Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball Team dropped their first series in a month as they were swept by Carson-Newman in the doubleheader on Saturday, losing game one 9-8 and game two, 4-3..

In the first game, the Bears found themselves down by three runs after back-to-back two-run innings by the Eagles. Despite a late push thanks to an Eli Willen two-run home run, Cole Laskowski struck out looking to snap the Bears four-game winning streak.

In the second game, LR found themselves down by one run heading into the seventh inning, but Wade Cuda knotted things up at three with an RBI single. However, in the home half of the seventh, Mitchell Balint popped up a foul ball down the first base line. When Tyler McPeak hauled it in, Trey Miller tagged from third and scored the game winning run.

In game one, Bryce Stober led all LR hitters with a 3-for-4 afternoon, the redshirt junior also had a two-run showing. Blake Bean led all Bears with three runs.

Bean also recorded a team-best three RBIs while recording his 16th home run of the season. Both teams had a galore of extra-base hits with each side registering five each. The Bears knocked out two home runs and three doubles, while the Eagles had one triple and four doubles.

LR left plenty of opportunities on the base paths by stranding 12 runners. Andy Cook was handed a losing decision after allowing one hit and two earned runs in 0.0 innings pitched.

LR notched another double-digit strikeout performance with 10 total punch outs. Jackson Reid led the way with six of his own.

In game two, Blake Bean started off the game with a solo home run, which is his 17th of the season, moving him into a tie for first with the most single-season home runs. Sal Carricato led the Bears with two hits, making it now six times in the last 10 games the redshirt sophomore has had multi-hit performances.

It was another brutal showing of leaving runners on the base paths for LR, stranding nine runners in the second leg of the doubleheader. Braden Houston has now been handed losing decisions in back-to-back non-save situations. The redshirt senior gave up four hits and one earned run in 2.2 innings pitched.

After the extra-base hits were coming in handfuls during the first game, both sides only combined for three extra base hits. LR recorded two while Carson-Newman only had one. In his first start since becoming the all-time program strikeout leader on April 10 vs. Tusculum, Joshua Lanham only tallied one strikeout in his four innings of work.

The largest lead in the contest was never greater than one. In addition, there was not a single inning where either team scored more than one run, meaning that the Eagles scored in four half innings while the Bears scored in three. The Bears finish with a road conference record of 10-2.

Carson-Newman extends its lead of the all-time series with a 64-37 record. LR has now lost two consecutive games to Carson-Newman for the first time since Feb. 22-23, 2020.

This becomes the first time that LR has been swept in a doubleheader since March 18 against Wingate at home. The last time the Bears lost a road doubleheader in SAC play was to Catawba from March 25-26, 2022, in Salisbury, N.C.

The Bears fall to 34-11 overall, 15-6 in the South Atlantic Conference. LR will return to action on Tuesday, April 18 against Limestone at Durham Field. First pitch for the final home mid-week matchup of the season is slated for 6:00 p.m.