The Lenoir-Rhyne University baseball team won its first two games in the national championship series in Cary, North Carolina, to advance to the semifinals.
LR took a 6-0 lead in the first inning but had to fend off a late-inning rally from No. 2 Central Missouri. In the end, Hickory native Gavin Marley came through with 2.2 innings of no-hit work to seal a 12-9 Bears win on Sunday.
Hogan Stallings launched a grand slam in the first inning to set the tone, and Sal Carricato hit his 26th home run of the year in the fourth to add to LR’s record breaking season total. That ranks him fourth in the nation in home runs. His 96 RBIs are tied for 12th all-time in DII single-season history.
The Bears broke the all-time NCAA Division II home run record in the fourth inning of their series opening game against East Stroudsburg on Friday. Owen Blackledge tied the record with a solo shot and then a few batters later Eli Willen broke the record with a two-run bomb. The homers led to a seven-run rally in the inning. It put LR in the driver’s seat on the way to a 15-11 win.
The Bears added two more of home runs from Sal Carricato later. Those, along with his homer on Sunday, brings the team’s total to 135 on the season.
Cole Laskowski doubles in the second round of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship series on Sunday.
Jackson Shoe, Record
With the wins, Lenoir-Rhyne advanced to Wednesday’s game, where they played the winner of Central Missouri and East Stroudsburg.
Coach of the Year
Head coach Adam Skonieczki was named the National Co-Coach of the Year by Perfect Game on May 31. He was jointly named coach of the year with Florida Southern’s Rick O’Dette.
Skonieczki took over the head job this year after former coach Chris Ramirez left to become the head coach at Division I Southern Indiana. He has led the Bears to one of the best offensive seasons in Division II history.
The Lenoir-Rhyne baseball team celebrates their win in the second round of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship series on Sunday.
Jackson Shoe, Record
In addition to the home run record, the Bears rank in the top 10 nationally in nine offensive categories. This team also ranks first in school history in 15 categories and top five all-time in 22. Led by the All-American trio of Mackenzie Wainwright, Sal Carricato, and Cole Stanford, the Bears currently hold a record of 49-13.
