PEACHTREE CITY / ATLANTA, Ga. – The Lincoln University of Pennsylvania men's baseball program went 1-0-1 against a pair of ATL-based HBCUs, defeating Clark Atlanta before tying Morehouse as Mother Nature intervened to cancel the ballgame.

The Lions won their season opener for the first time in six seasons, upending the Panthers 7-4 on Friday and were deadlocked at 8-8 versus the Maroon Tigers in the bottom of the eighth when the skies opened up and dumped a downpour of rain on Gresham Park.

What You Need to Know:
 

• Clark Atlanta Score: Lincoln (PA) 7 | Clark Atlanta 4

 

• Morehouse Score: Lincoln (PA) 8 | Morehouse 8

 

• Records: Lincoln-PA (1-0-1, 0-0 ECC) | Clark Atlanta (2-3, 0-0 SIAC) | Morehouse (4-1-1, 0-0 SIAC)

 

• Clark Atlanta Location: Peachtree City, Georgia – Home Plate Field

 

• Morehouse Location: Atlanta, Georgia – Gresham Park

 

• Clark Atlanta Winning Streak: Lincoln-PA (W1) | Clark Atlanta's Last Win: None Since 2008

 

• Morehouse Winning Streak: Lincoln-PA (W1) | Morehouse's Last Win: None Since 2008

 
Lincoln (PA) Top Performers:
 

• Sheldon Johnson (Pittsburgh, Penn./Woodland Hills) was a man amongst boys versus Morehouse, crushing two home runs, driving in five RBIs, going 3-for-5, and scoring all three times he reached base. It was his first career multi-homer outing and third long ball as a Lion, while he set personal-bests in the hits (3), RBIs (5), and runs scored (3) categories against the Maroon Tigers.

 

• Gabriel Sanchez (Anthony, N.M./Gadsden) pitched an absolute gem after getting the Opening Day nod on the hill, his first career scoreless outing, allowing just one base hit (career-low) with three strikeouts over six nearly flawless frames.

 

• Conner Jones (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) slammed the door shut on the Panthers for his first career save, giving up only a hit-by-pitch and punching out one.

 

• Jefry Azcona (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Central) was the main catalyst in the win over CAU, notching a pair of RBIs with a single and a double, walked once, stole a base, and came around to score.

 

• David Estevez (Philadelphia, Penn./Olney Charter) struck out six over four innings opposite MC, but the relief pitchers were the difference as Leon McKnight (Philadelphia, Penn./Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter), Darrion Williams (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford), and Pedro Santos (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) combined for four frames of no-run baseball with five whiffs.

 

• Josh Shepherd (Bowie, Md./Bowie) smacked an RBI double, scored twice, and had three hits on the weekend while Anthony Burgos (Bronx, N.Y./Mott Haven) lofted a sacrifice fly.

 

• Alex Jones (Bear, Del./Appoquinimink) and Jaden Greenidge (Richmond, Va./Monacan) both tied for the team lead by going 3-of-7 (.429), combining for three runs, three walks, two RBIs, and two stolen bases.

 
Notes:
 

• The tie was the first for the baseball program since a 10-10 deadlock vs. Saint Paul's College (Virginia) on March 15, 2008. Saint Paul's closed its doors for good in 2013.

 
Next:
 

• LU of PA heads back down the East Coast on Tuesday, February 21 for a doubleheader at Coker beginning at noon inside Tom J. New Field at Dave Schmotzer Stadium.