HICKORY, N.C.– Despite recording equal number of hits on the day, Anderson softball (23-13, 12-2 SAC) needed to overcome four home runs and two doubles on the day to earn a South Atlantic Conference split with No.18 Lenoir-Rhyne (34-10, 11-5 SAC) dropping game one, 3-0, and bouncing back in game two, 7-6, on Saturday afternoon at Bears Field.

Game One

• The Trojans outhit the Bears 5-4.
• Lenoir-Rhyne used two solo home runs and a bloop single to score all three of its runs.
• Senior Laken Maxwell (13-6) suffered the loss pitching 7.0 innings. Maxwell gave up four hits and three runs while striking out eight batters.

Game Two

• Lenoir-Rhyne outhit Anderson 11-10.
• The Trojans jumped out to a, 2-0, to start the game going up, 3-0 in the top of the third. LR answered back with four runs in the bottom half of the third.
• After falling behind, 5-3, the Trojans scored three runs in fifth inning to reclaim the lead, 6-5. Back-to-Back doubles by Shelby Bandt and Maddie Carpenter pushed one run across while Hannah Whitaker's two-run shot put the Trojans ahead.
• Anderson added an insurance run in the top half of the seventh with a lead-off walk drawn by Carson Hobbs. Paige Vickery drew a walk and Ava Worthy bunted over pinch runner Kinsley Dunn and Vickery. Lauren Brakovec hit a full-count single to left field to drive in the Trojans seventh run of the game.
• A solo home run pulled the Bears to within one, but the Trojans were able to stall LR's rally and win the important SAC game.
• Carpenter went 3-for-4, Hobbs and Brakovec went 2-for-3 for the Black and Gold.
• Graduate Morgen Baker-Celis pitched 3.1 innings striking out seven Bears. Sophomore Carson Hobbs (2-2) pitched the final 3.2 innings giving up four hits and striking out one.
• Anderson remains in second place in the SAC standings (12-2) behind Wingate (15-1). Lenoir-Rhyne sits in third with a 11-5 conference record.

Next Up

Anderson will host SAC foe Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday. First-pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 pm.