HICKORY, N.C. – The Lock Haven softball team (2-2) competed in the Bear Bash II hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne and faced off against Johnson C. Smith (1-1) and the 23rd-ranked hosts Lenoir-Rhyne (14-1) on Friday afternoon. A few Bald Eagles found their groove at the plate, including Summer Peters (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) who erupted for her first multi-home run game of her career. 

In the first game of the afternoon, Lock Haven launched four home runs in a game for the first time since April 10th, 2021, when they sent four over the wall at Mansfield. The team accounted for ten players with a hit and six collected multiple hits on the day. 


Game 1 vs. Johnson C. Smith: W, 14-7 

LHU opened the Bear Bash with an offensive onslaught in the first game. Peters kicked things off, driving in Delaney Good (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) to give the Bald Eagles the first run of the game in the bottom of the first.  

After the Golden Bulls grabbed a 4-1 lead, Peters smacked her first home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the third to close the gap. The Bald Eagle dugout got a show after the next at-bat saw Bella Schmitt (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) laced a homerun of her own to tie things at 4-4 

The Golden Bulls placed three more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth to retake a 7-4 lead. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Lock Haven came alive again. Riley McClellan (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy) reignited the Bald Eagles offense, delivering a two-run double, scoring Morgan Karasek (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) and Hunter McClellan (Grantville Summit, Pa./Troy). Peters took another home run trot, sending a three-run shot in the next at-bat to retake the lead, 9-7.  

Sydney Arrigale (Blackwood, N.J./Highland Regional) finished off the inning taking her first home run trot of the season, a two-run blast to increase their lead to 11-7. Schmitt and Kerri McCallum (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) finished off the scoring, each knocking in RBI singles with Schmitt earning two, as Lock Haven's offense powered them to a 14-7 victory. 

Keiva Middleton (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) pitched the first four innings, allowing only two earned runs, while striking out six. Jada Schellhammer (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) picked up her first win, allowing just one hit through three innings of work. 

Game 2 vs. #23 Lenoir-Rhyne: L, 6-4 

Game two against the nationally ranked team saw LHU battle in a close and competitive contest with the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne controlled for the first four innings, planting a 4-0 lead and looking to shut the Bald Eagles down early.  

The top of the fifth inning gave LHU the spark they needed after a bases-loaded jam brought Riley McClellan to the plate and she did not disappoint, sending her second career grand slam shot over the wall to tie up the game at 4-4. 

To end the fifth, the Bears answered quickly, sending two more deep shots over the wall to retake a 6-4 lead. This final push would help the nationally ranked team secure the afternoon victory.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: 
The Bald Eagles will continue their stay in North Carolina and be back in action tomorrow, facing Johnson C. Smith at 1:30 p.m. and the 23rd-ranked hosts Lenoir-Rhyne at 3:30 p.m.