Columbus, Ga. —- The Catawba College baseball team bounced back from a run-rule loss in the first game of a doubleheader at Columbus State to take the rubber match and the series run over the Cougars behind a quality start from freshman pitcher Hayden Simmerson on Saturday afternoon.
GAME ONE | Columbus State 10, Catawba 0
TEAM STATS
- Columbus State out-hit Catawba 13-4
- The Cougars had five of six extra-base hits in the game and both home runs
- CSU's Johnny Dow allowed no runs on four hits and two walks, striking out two in seven innings of work; Catawba's staff allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits and one walk, striking out four
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Cooper Bryson doubled
- Cole Hales, Ty Hubbard and Colby Taylor recorded Catawba's other hits in game one
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST INNING
- CSU's Win Johns belted a three-run home run to give the Cougars the early lead
THIRD INNING
- Columbus State scored on a wild pitch in the fourth before John's sac fly gave the Cougars a 5-0 lead
SEVENTH INNING
- CSU added five more runs in the seventh, as Andrew Rubin's two-RBI single enacted the 10-run mercy rule
GAME TWO | Catawba 3, Columbus State 2
TEAM STATS
- Catawba out-hit CSU 8-4
- The Cougars recorded two of three extra-base hits; both teams hit home runs
- Columbus State committed the lone error
- The Catawba Indians recorded all four stolen bases in game two
- Catawba's pitching staff allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks, striking out seven; CSU's pitchers allowed three earned runs on eight hits and five walks, striking out four
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Simmerson picked up his first win as a Catawba Indian, taking a one-hit outing into the seventh. In all, Simmerson allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk, striking out six
- Griffyn Shelton earned the save, leaving the bases loaded and the game-winning run at second base
- Logan Rogers blasted a solo homer
- Bryson singled, walked twice, drove in a run and scored
- Hales went 2-for-3 with an RBI
HOW IT HAPPENED
SECOND INNING
- Rogers lifted his first homer of the season in the second inning to give Catawba an early lead in the rubber match
SEVENTH INNING
- Drew Robertson singled and stole second to lead off the seventh
- RBI singles from Bryson and Hales provided much-needed insurance runs as the Catawba Indians led 3-0
- CSU singled and homered to lead off the bottom of the seventh
- The Cougars loaded the bases with two outs, advancing the tying run to third base and the winning run to second; Shelton forced a flyout to close out the series win
UP NEXT
- Catawba closes its season-opening seven-game road trip on Wednesday, traveling to Newberry for a non-conference game at 4 p.m.
