Box Score The Lincoln University Lions baseball program played their final home series against CIAA rival Winston-Salem State University this weekend. This series also marked the final home games for four seniors who played in their last games in the Orange and Blue.
The first set of games for the series was pushed back due to field conditions from 1:00pm to 3:30pm. Winston-Salem was able to get on the board early and not look back scoring 14 runs in the top of the first inning. They were able to tally 6 more in the second, 3 in the third and fourth innings, one in the fifth and sixth, and then two more in the top of the 7th inning. Lincoln was able to put up 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning. Junior DeVante Parker (Bear, DE/Appoquinimink HS) was 2-3 on the day with an RBI while Freshmen Dumarius Gooch (Milton, DE/Cape Henlopen HS) and Ronnie Oldham (Westbrook, CT/Westbrook HS) also collected 2 hits each in the first game. Michael McNamara was 5-5 with 7 RBI's and had two homeruns in the contest for Winston-Salem while Nathan Steger and Randy Norris each collected 4 hits. Steger also earned the win in the contest 30-2.
Game two of the day was split between Saturday and Sunday. After playing just three full innings, it became too dark which halted the game with the Lions leading the Rams 5-2 going in to the top of the 4th inning. The game would resume Sunday morning. Parker, who started the game on Saturday for the Lions, went out and started the 4th inning and Winston-Salem tied the game with three runs. They added 4 more in the fifth inning and Lincoln was able to score one in the bottom half. The Rams scored 8 more runs in the next two innings to win the game 17-6. Lincoln had 10 hits in the game with Junior Ronald Lashley (Brooklyn, NY/Benjamin Banneker Academy) and Seniors Edwin Rivera (Bronx, NY/Gompers HS) and Marcus Sistrun (Philadelphia, PA/Eastern College) recording 2 hits each. Gooch went 1-3 with 2 RBI's and Freshman Julian Bradshaw (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Generation HS) went 1-3 with 2 RBI's as well. Kanoa Hironaka came in the fourth inning of the game and earned the win for the Rams.
The third game of the series was won by the Rams 2-0. Freshman pitcher Marcos Castillo (Brooklyn, NY/HS of Telecommunications) went the distance for the Lions scattering nine hits while striking out five batters. Lincoln could only scratch 3 hits from Lashley, Rivera, and Senior Terrell Barringer (Philadelphia, PA/Lackawanna C.C.) on the day. Orlando Cannon earned the win for the Rams. Steger went 3-4 with an RBI and Norris went 1-4 with an RBI for the Rams.
In between the third and fourth games, the four graduating seniors were honored for their careers as Lincoln Lions. Avery Lomax (Bowie, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt HS), Terrell Barringer (Philadelphia, PA/Lackawanna C.C.), Marcus Sistrun (Philadelphia, PA/Eastern College), and Edwin Rivera (Bronx, NY/Gompers HS) were honored by Coach Pla' before the game with pictures and trophy bats as keepsakes. Families and friends were on hand to honor the four members of the team who would play in their final game.
The fourth and final game of the series Winston-Salem won by the score of 12-0. Devin McLemore earned the win for the Rams going the full game scattering seven hits and striking out 13 Lions. Lashley and Rivera each had two hits in the game while Sistrun and Lomax added one each. Freshman Pitcher Orlando Roberson (Germantown, MD/Seneca Valley HS) took the loss in the game giving up 8 runs on 8 hits. With the win, Winston-Salem clinched the CIAA Regular Season Conference Championship.
The Lions record dropped to 5-33 on the year winning two more games than last year and increasing in numerous offensive categories including batting average, hits, homeruns, and on base percentage. With a young group of players coming back next year, Lincoln will look to make a run at the CIAA championships.
