Lenoir-Rhyne opens 2026 season by hitting four homers, defeating Columbus State 17-7 in Hickory

Early power and a decisive sixth inning set the tone

Lenoir-Rhyne opened its 2026 baseball season on Friday, Feb. 6, with a 17-7 win over Columbus State at Durham Field in Hickory, North Carolina, powered by four home runs and a five-run sixth inning. The result moved Lenoir-Rhyne to 1-0, while Columbus State fell to 0-3.

The Bears scored in seven of eight offensive innings and finished with 16 hits. Columbus State totaled 11 hits, and both teams recorded three stolen bases. Defensively, Lenoir-Rhyne was charged with three errors and Columbus State with one.

How the scoring unfolded

Columbus State struck first with a run in the top of the first, but Lenoir-Rhyne answered immediately with three in the bottom half. An RBI from Mackenzie Wainwright brought home Lleyton Lackey, and Seth Christmas followed with a two-run home run to make it 3-1 after one inning.

Lenoir-Rhyne extended its lead to 6-3 through three innings, with Lackey driving in two runs in the second and Christmas adding a sacrifice fly in the third. Columbus State pulled within one by the fifth inning, trimming the margin to 6-5.

The game shifted in the sixth. Lenoir-Rhyne scored five times, capped by Matt Procopio’s three-run homer to center field. The Bears added two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to reach 17 runs overall.

Key individual performances

• Procopio hit two home runs and drove in six runs to lead Lenoir-Rhyne.
• Christmas homered and finished with four RBIs.
• Sylas Boris added a home run as Lenoir-Rhyne’s fourth long ball.
• Lackey went 4-for-4, finishing one home run short of the cycle, and drove in three runs.

In addition to Lackey, Procopio and Boris each recorded at least three hits. Eight Lenoir-Rhyne players had at least one hit in the opener, and five recorded the first hit of their college careers.

Pitching snapshot

Michael Joyce earned the win in his debut for Lenoir-Rhyne, pitching five innings with seven strikeouts. Over the final four innings, Preston Drebes, Julian Castro and Paul Toovalian combined to allow five hits as the Bears protected and expanded their lead.

Context and what comes next

The 17 runs were Lenoir-Rhyne’s second-highest total in a season opener, behind an 18-run opener achieved last year and also in 1993. The Bears have now won six of their last seven season openers.

The teams were scheduled to continue their weekend series on Saturday, Feb. 7, with a 1 p.m. first pitch in Hickory.