HobbsDailyReport.com
FLEENOR
HICKORY – Getting three hits and three RBIs from senior Marcus Shoemaker sparked Lenoir-Rhyne University to a 9-1 baseball win on Wednesday that moved Bears head coach Tom Fleenor to third on the school’s all-time coaching win list.
LRU downed visiting Lake Erie (1-6-1), quickly bouncing back from a 16-run loss the day before to Belmont Abbey.
The Bears improved to 13-6 overall by collecting Fleenor’s 115th win. He is in his fifth season as LRU’s head coach.
Junior outfielder Justin Dean and Shoemaker were Wednesday’s sparkplugs. Dean had four hits and scored three runs.
LRU scored five runs in the sixth inning and finished with 14 hits in support of junior Jake Conroy (2-0). He pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball while striking out five.
Nathan Erzen drove in Lake Erie’s only run and Brian Bullock took the loss.
The Bears’ next game is a South Atlantic Conference (SAC) contest on Friday at 6 p.m. at Catawba.