Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College baseball scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and stranded the go-ahead run on first base in the ninth to complete the sweep of Coker on Sunday afternoon at Newman Park. The Catawba Indians improve to 18-9 overall and a league-best 8-1 in the SAC, while the Cobras drop to 10-19 on the year and 2-10 in league play.
The teams combined for just 11 hits in the ballgame, as Logan Rogers and Cameron Mills doubled for Catawba, while Jackson Finger tripled and Harris Jackson recorded the team's only RBI on the day. Coker was held to just one hit outside of their first three in the batting order.
Coker started the game with three straight singles, taking a 1-0 lead on Nick Leonard's RBI base hit through the left side. Catawba starter Mason Gwyn faced the bases loaded with one out, but retired the next two batters to leave three runners stranded.
Rogers doubled to lead off the fourth inning, and tied the game on a Coker fielding error. Coker jumped ahead again in the fifth, as Catawba pitcher Casey Gouge escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam, allowing just one run on a hit-by-pitch.
With runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth, Jackson hit an infield single to drive in the tying run, and Carson Yates scored the go-ahead run on a Coker throwing error. Robbie Cowie finished off the ninth inning, leaving runners on first and second to walk away with his third save of the season.
Gouge earned the win, pitching four shutout innings without allowing any hits or walks, striking out five. The freshman left-hander retired 10 batters in a row to complete his outing, earning the first winning decision of his career.
Catawba kicks off a five-game week next week on Tuesday, traveling to Mount Olive for the rubber match of the season series. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
