The Lurleen B. Wallace Community College Saints baseball team fell to Lenoir Community College 7-5 Wednesday in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Southeastern Regional Tournament championship game in Martinsville, Va.

The Saints started the day in a positive way, handing Lenoir its first regional tournament loss, winning 10-6.

LBWCC finished its season with a 35-17 record.

Lenoir C.C. 7, LBWCC 5

Lenoir’s Hunter Lowe allowed no runs on three hits and struck out one batter in four innings to earn the win, and help lead his team to the regional title.

Lowe is a native of Gatesville and a graduate of Gates County High School.

Lenoir strutted out to a commanding 4-0 lead in the first inning when Gabe Brown hit an RBI double down the left field line to score Josh Hudson; Aaron Jones hit a two-RBI double to score Brown and Andrew Manning; and Jones scoring on an error.

The Saints scored two runs in the top of the second on RBIs from Cory Reed and Chezz McCann.

Lenoir stayed in the lead in the bottom of the third inning after the Saints cut the lead to one run by scoring on a sacrifice RBI from Jay Thompson to score Jones.

Saints starting pitcher Tyler Dent allowed five runs on five hits for the loss in one inning.

Josh Dozier came in on relief. He struck out four batters and allowed two runs on five hits.

The Saints eased their way back into contention in the top of the fourth inning scoring two runs on four hits.

Boone Shear hit an RBI single to right to score Chad Helms; and Jeremy Williams singled to left to score Reed. Reed reached on a single up the middle.

Lenoir added one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the regional championship when Brown led off with a double; and Jones flied out to center to score Brown.

Reed, McCann, Shear, Williams and Shane Turner had one RBI each for the Saints.

Brown led Lenoir at the plate going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.

LBWCC 10, Lenoir 6

Winning pitcher Blake Hanson allowed six runs on 11 hits and struck out five batters in eight innings to help lead his team to force Lenoir to play another game.

The Saints hopped out to an early 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning when Williams hit a 2 RBI single to left field scoring Shear and McCann.

Lenoir answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the first as Brown hit a two-run home run to left center, and Thompson hit an RBI triple to score Jones.

LBWCC took control of the game in the top of the third inning scoring four runs on three hits.

Waltman singled to left center field to score Shear; Turner was hit by a pitch that scored Williams; Bacon was hit by a pitch that scored Jeffry Etheridge; and Helms hit a sacrifice fly to score Waltman.

Lenoir cut into the Saints’ lead in the bottom of the fourth scoring two runs on two hits and two errors.

Then, the Saints added one run in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Helms.

Two insurance runs were scored in the top of the sixth for the Saints as Shear scored on an error, and Waltman singled to score Williams.

In the bottom of the seventh, Lenoir scored one run on a a single fro Thompson.

The Saints sealed the win in the top of the eighth when Helms hit an RBI double to score Turner.

Williams was 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs; Turner was 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI; and Helms was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Waltman and Shear also had a good day behind the plate for the Saints hitting 2-for-4.